September 6, 2022 — Global seafood production totals are down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but are expected to rebound, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 2022 edition of the “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” (SOFIA) report.
While the world’s total fisheries and aquaculture yield climbed to an all-time record of 214 million metric tons (MT) in 2020, actual global seafood production fell slightly to 178 million MT, with algae providing the remaining 36 million MT, according to the report. The limited growth in 2020 was mainly caused by a 4.4 percent decline in capture fisheries due to reduced catches of pelagic species, particularly anchoveta, a reduction in China’s catches, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.