The Mediterranean and the Black Sea, SE Pacific and SW Atlantic are the most unsustainable fisheries
The amount of fish captured in the wild has levelled and the aquaculture expansion has slow down but the global fish production will continue to grow to 201 million tonnes in 2030, predicts FAO experts.
"The sector is not without its challenges, however, including the need to reduce the percentage of fish stocks fished beyond biological sustainability", declared FAO Director-General, Jose Graziano da Silva during the presentation of the latest edition of "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report.
The current production level of fish is estimated at 171 million tonnes but only 59.9% of the major commercial fish species that FAO monitors are now being fished at biologically sustainable levels, while 33.1% are being fished at biologically unsustainable levels.
These figures are raising concerns about the development of the sector, considering that 40 years ago 90 % of FAO-monitored fisheries were being utilized at biologically sustainable levels, and just 10% were being fished unsustainably.
"The Mediterranean and the Black Sea, with 62.2%overfished stocks, the Southeast Pacific (61.5%), and Southwest Atlantic (58.8%) are the most unsustainable fisheries in the world", according to the report. Meanwhile, Eastern Central, Western Central, NE, NW and Southwest Pacific are considered to be regions where fishing is done at sustainable levels (< 17% of overfished stocks).
Also, 27% of all the landings is lost to spoilage or thrown away after landing and prior to consumption. Of the 171 million tonnes of fish produced in 2016, humans have consumed as food 151.2 million tonnes.
Aquaculture sector has delivered 80 million tonnes of fish, while marine captures have reached 79.3 million tonnes and freshwater capture stood at 11.6 million tonnes. 35% of global fish production has been exported, accounting for $143 billion dollars. China remains the world's largest producer and exporter, while the largest consumers are the EU, the US and Japan.
Fish account for about 17% of animal protein consumed by the global population and overall provide about 3.2 billion people on the planet with nearly 20% of their animal protein. In some countries, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, fish supplies 50% or more of people's protein intake.
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