FAO: The current contribution of aquatic foods to food security and nutrition has never been greater

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released the report "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022", saying that total world fisheries and aquaculture production rose to an all-time high in 2020 and that the current contribution of aquatic food to food security and nutrition is unprecedented.

　　The report notes that with the remarkable growth of aquaculture, global fisheries and aquaculture production are at record levels and aquatic foods are making an increasingly important contribution to securing food security and nutrition in the 21st century.

　　Driven by global growth in aquaculture, particularly in Asia, total fisheries and aquaculture production rises to an all-time high of 214 million tonnes in 2020, of which 178 million tonnes are aquatic animals and 36 million tonnes are algae.

　　The report notes that aquatic animal production in 2020 is 30 percent higher than the average for the first decade of the century and more than 60 percent higher than the average for the 1990s. This achievement is due in large part to the growth of the aquaculture industry, which set an all-time high of 87.5 million tons of aquatic animal production.

　　As fisheries and aquaculture continue to expand, FAO says, there is a need to promote more targeted and transformative changes to build a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable fisheries and aquaculture industry. A "blue transition" in the way aquatic food is produced, managed, traded and consumed is necessary to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

　　Growth in fisheries and aquaculture plays a critical role in the global fight against hunger and malnutrition, but fisheries and aquaculture need to be further transformed to meet the challenge," said FAO Director-General Qu Dong Yu. "We must drive the transformation of agri-food systems to ensure sustainable production of aquatic foods, secure livelihoods and protect aquatic habitats and biodiversity."

　　The current contribution of aquatic foods to food security and nutrition has never been greater. Since 1961, global consumption of aquatic foods (excluding algae) has grown at an average annual rate of 3.0%, almost twice the average annual growth rate of the world population. Annual per capita consumption reached 20.2 kg, more than twice the consumption in the 1960s.

　　Despite the impact of the New Crown epidemic, more than 157 million tons of aquatic animals will be available for direct human consumption in 2020, accounting for 89% of aquatic animal production, slightly higher than consumption in 2018. aquatic foods account for about 17% of animal protein consumption in 2019, reaching 23% in low- and middle-income countries and more than 50% in parts of Asia and Africa.

　　In 2020, Asian countries account for 70% of global aquatic animal production from fisheries and aquaculture, followed by the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. China remains the largest fishery producer, followed by Indonesia, Peru, Russia, the United States, India, and Vietnam.