By failing to take care of the ocean, humans are increasingly appreciating what it has to offer. Over six decades, per capita consumption of seafood has grown twice as fast as the world’s population. In 1961 it was 9.1 kg per annum and now it is 20.7 kg. China alone swallows 36%. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, predicts that humans will eat more of them in the coming years. At least on average, the African continent should see its per capita share continue to decline, particularly in sub-Saharan regions, although “Many people depend on it to meet their nutritional needs.”In its annual report on the state of the world’s fisheries and aquaculture, the UN agency underlines, Published on Friday 7th June.

Its experts, unsurprisingly, predict that fishing will not follow an upward trend. In fact, since the late 1980s, despite more sophisticated technologies and powerful fleets, its total volume has fluctuated between 86 million and 94 million tons per year for nearly four decades. In 2022, it reached 92.3 million tonnes (including 1.3 million tonnes of algae) or 41% of the 223.2 million tonnes of seafood production, which was a record 130.9 million tonnes in that year. algae), now clearly dominates the field. About 90% of what is produced by fishing and agriculture is directly consumed by humans, while the rest is converted into flour and oils, mostly for animal feed.

Important economic sector

On the management of fisheries resources, the UN agency draws a different global assessment. Despite calls to reduce catches to near-destructive levels, only 62.3% of biological stocks (i.e. a species in a given sea area) are sustainably fished, 2.3% less than in 2019. Others are highly exploited. However, by weight, 78.9% of products landed in 2021 came from stocks considered sustainable.

All of this work reflects the economic importance of seafood, a sector worth €179 billion by 2022, which the FAO notes continues to surpass. The export value of aquatic animals increased from 7.25 billion euros in 1976 to 176.27 billion euros in 2022. China is the export champion (12%) ahead of Norway (8%) and Vietnam (6%). In archipelagos such as the Maldives, Seychelles or the Faroe Islands, seafood accounts for 30% of trade.

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