September 23, 2024 — The world’s population is due to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and sustainable approaches to feeding the extra mouths are crucial. The fishing sector will play a vital role according to an influential report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In 2022, production reached a record high, driven by a surge in animal aquaculture that exceeded wild catch for the first time, found the latest State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report.
China has played a significant role in this transition. It has been the largest source of fish production since about 1989, for both marine wild catch and aquaculture. By 2022, China accounted for nearly 40% of global output.
But its marine catch declined from 14.4 million tonnes in 2015 to 11.8 million tonnes in 2022, a fall of nearly 18%, the FAO report noted. Meanwhile, with more than a decade of development behind it, China has become the main driver of growth in aquaculture production, not just in Asia, but globally.