Gitnux/Report 2026

Fisheries Industry Statistics

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Fisheries Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The fisheries industry at a glance

Global fisheries and aquaculture production reached 235 million tonnes in 2024, including 195 million tonnes of aquatic animals, as aquaculture became the sector’s main growth engine.

235M tonnes[20]
Total production, 2024
$184B[20]
Aquatic animal trade, 2024
103M tonnes[20]
Aquaculture animals, 2024
53%[20]
Aquaculture share, 2024
Market size
Global fisheries and aquaculture production totaled 235 million tonnes in 2024, including 195 million tonnes of aquatic animals. International trade in aquatic animal products reached $184 billion in the same year.[20]
Forecast & CAGR
FAO projects aquatic animal production to reach 214 million tonnes by 2034, up from 195 million tonnes in 2024, implying an approximate compound annual growth rate of 0.9% over the period. Aquaculture is expected to remain the main source of expansion.[20]
Market share & regions
Asia produced 130.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2022, compared with 17.2 million tonnes in Europe, 17.1 million tonnes in Latin America and the Caribbean, 12.9 million tonnes in Africa, 5.9 million tonnes in Northern America and 1.8 million tonnes in Oceania. In the EU, Spain, France, Greece and Italy accounted for 64.6% of aquaculture output by volume in 2024.[20][10]
Segmentation
The industry divides primarily into capture fisheries and aquaculture, with aquaculture supplying 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2024 versus about 92 million tonnes from capture fisheries. Aquaculture production, including algae, totaled 141 million tonnes and was valued at $391 billion.[20]
Key players & concentration
China is the leading aquaculture producer; FAO’s 2022 data recorded 52.9 million tonnes of farmed aquatic animals from China, followed by India at 10.2 million tonnes. The available global figures indicate a highly concentrated production base, particularly in aquaculture.[20]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Aquaculture has driven nearly all growth in aquatic production since the late 1980s, while capture fisheries have remained broadly stable. Growth is supported by population growth, rising incomes, urbanisation and improved distribution, but climate change, ecological limits, input costs and biologically unsustainable stocks remain major challenges; 72.6% of landings in 2023 came from biologically sustainable stocks.[20]
Consumer behavior & competition
Aquatic animal foods supplied at least one-fifth of animal protein consumption for 3.1 billion people in 2024, while global per-capita availability reached an estimated 21.3 kg. About 89% of aquatic animal production was used for human consumption, supporting competition between farmed and wild supply chains as aquaculture surpassed capture fisheries.[20]
Regulation
Sustainability regulation and fisheries management remain central to the industry: 72.6% of landings in 2023 originated from biologically sustainable stocks. FAO identifies stronger governance, monitoring and surveillance, and action against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing as continuing priorities.[20]
Latest news
FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026, released on June 16, 2026, reported record global production of 235 million tonnes in 2024. The report also marked the first time aquaculture production of aquatic animals exceeded 100 million tonnes and placed aquatic animal trade at a record $184 billion.[20]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Fisheries Industry

The leading companies in the fisheries industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Mowi leads Gitnux's 2026 fisheries ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with 559,000 tonnes harvested in 2025. SalMar is the runner-up at 9.4, with 10.6% operating margin.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in salmon farming

    Mowi

    NO

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Salmon farming

    Why we picked it: It harvests salmon at 559,000 tonnes scale and also processes seafood in its segment.

    See in ranking ↓Visit mowi.com ↗

  2. Leader in wild fisheries

    Cooke

    CA

    Ranked #3 · 9.3 · Wild fisheries

    Why we picked it: It runs aquaculture and wild fishery divisions in 14 countries, spreading sourcing and processing.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cookeseafood.com ↗

  3. Leader in seafood processing

    Lerøy Seafood Group

    NO

    Ranked #4 · 9.0 · Seafood processing

    Why we picked it: It cites a fully vertically integrated chain in redfish and whitefish, spanning processing and farming.

    See in ranking ↓Visit leroyseafood.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the fisheries industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Mowi

Salmon farming · NO

9.6
2

SalMar

Salmon farming · NO

9.4
3

Cooke

Wild fisheries · CA

9.3
4

Lerøy Seafood Group

Seafood processing · NO

9.0
5

Thai Union

Tuna and frozen seafood · TH

8.9
6

Umios

Fishing, aquaculture and seafood processing · JP

8.8
7

Austevoll Seafood

Pelagic fishing, aquaculture and fishmeal · NO

8.4
8

High Liner Foods

Frozen seafood processing and brands · CA

7.9
9

Royal Greenland

Arctic fisheries and seafood processing · GL

7.7
10

Trident Seafoods

Wild Alaska fishing and seafood processing · US

7.5

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the fisheries industry. In Fisheries Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fisheries-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

U.S. commercial fisheries total landings

U.S. commercial fisheries total landings fell from 9,637 million pounds in 2016 to 8,573 million pounds in 2021.

9,637 million pounds
Start
-2.31%
CAGR · 5y
8,574 million pounds
Projected
20162021
source-verifiedfisheries.noaa.gov2021

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI and automation touch vessel monitoring, farm inputs and processing. In 2025, 94 acres in surveyed Indian districts used AI-driven automatic starters.

AI in the fisheries industry

  • $141 billion is the annual value of seafood production in the global fishing industry analyzed in an AI-mapping review, 2024, global.[1]
  • 80 million tonnes of seafood are produced annually by the global fishing industry covered by AI-based vessel and catch mapping, 2024, global.[1]
  • 40 million people work in the global fishing industry, whose activity is increasingly monitored and analyzed with artificial intelligence, 2024, global.[1]
  • 86% of AI-related investment in seafood in 2024 came from the world’s 10 largest aquaculture companies, 2024, global.[2]
  • 4.9 million fishing vessels operate globally, creating a large monitoring field for artificial-intelligence systems, 2024, global.[1]
  • 38 AI-equipped aquaculture enterprises were identified worldwide, 2026, global.[3]

Automation in the fisheries industry

  • 12% of Iceland’s cod-equivalent catch quotas are held by Brim, whose processing operations include robotics and automation, 2021, Iceland.[4]
  • 94 acres used AI-driven automatic starters in a surveyed aquaculture technology program, 2025, India.[5]
  • 10 countries have received fish-processing automation projects from Samey Robotics, 2026, international.[6]
  • 1.0% of surveyed technology-using aquaculture acreage used automatic feeders, 2025, India.[5]
  • €300 million is the approximate annual revenue of Brim, which uses robotic box distribution and automated palletizing, 2021, Iceland.[4]
  • 150 automation projects have been delivered by Samey Robotics across the fish-processing industry, 2026, international.[6]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[7]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[7]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[7]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[7]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[8]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[9]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[9]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[9]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[9]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[9]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[9]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[10]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[7]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[10]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[7]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[9]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[7]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[7]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

The industry depends on standardized operational data, but data-quality gaps persist. In 2025, 44% of manufacturing AI projects failed because of poor data quality.

Business intelligence in the fisheries industry

  • 68 individual metrics are used by Fishery Performance Indicators to assess ecological, economic and community performance of fisheries globally.[11]
  • 68,085 valid fishing licences were reported by EU Member States in 2024, a 6% decline from 2020 in the administrative fisheries dataset.[12]
  • 66 input metrics support analysis of factors enabling or hindering aquaculture environmental, economic and community outcomes.[13]
  • 80% of EU fishing vessels longer than 15 metres had automatic identification systems in 2020, providing operational data for fisheries control dashboards.[12]
  • 88 performance metrics are used by Aquaculture Performance Indicators to evaluate environmental, economic and community outcomes in aquaculture systems.[13]
  • 94% of EU fishing vessels longer than 12 metres had electronic logbooks in 2020, supplying standardized operational data for business and regulatory analysis.[12]

Data analytics in the fisheries industry

  • 3,279 aquaculture acres used vertical aquaculture systems in the surveyed Indian districts in 2025.[5]
  • 14% of 444,000 aquaculture acres surveyed in India used technology, indicating substantial room for data-driven farm analytics in 2025.[5]
  • 83.4% of the 444,000 surveyed aquaculture acres in India used no listed technology in 2025.[5]
  • 94 aquaculture acres used AI-driven automatic starters in the surveyed Indian districts in 2025.[5]
  • 30,178 aquaculture acres used water-quality sensors in the surveyed Indian districts in 2025.[5]
  • 13,140 aquaculture acres used power-monitoring technology in the surveyed Indian districts in 2025.[5]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[14]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[15]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[14]
  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[15]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[15]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[15]
  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[15]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[16]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[17]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[17]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[17]

KPIs in the fisheries industry

  • 48% of EU fishing vessels between 12 and 15 metres had vessel-monitoring-system coverage in 2024.[12]
  • 35% was the minimum video-footage review rate for audit-model vessels in the U.S. Northeast multispecies fishery in fishing year 2023.[18]
  • 36% of EU fishing vessels between 12 and 15 metres had vessel-monitoring-system coverage in 2020.[12]
  • Approximately 285 Canadian fishing vessels participated in permanent electronic-monitoring schemes in 2019.[19]
  • 11 of 16 fully implemented electronic-monitoring programs worldwide were located in North America in 2019.[19]
  • Approximately 520 U.S. fishing vessels participated in permanent electronic-monitoring schemes in 2019.[19]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth ties to trade and processing scale rather than capture volume expansion. In 2024, global fisheries and aquaculture production reached 235 million tonnes.

Growth in the fisheries industry

  • 193 million tonnes was approximate global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2024, according to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook.[9]
  • 92 million tonnes of aquatic animals were produced by capture fisheries in 2024, including 80 million tonnes from marine fisheries worldwide.[20]
  • 21.3 kilograms was estimated global per-capita availability of aquatic animal foods in 2024.[20]
  • $4.9 billion in revenue was generated by U.S. commercial fishery landings totaling 7.7 billion pounds in 2024.[18]
  • 9.3 million tonnes was the global tuna catch in 2024, a record level for the species group.[20]
  • 235 million tonnes of global fisheries and aquaculture production were recorded in 2024, a record high worldwide.[20]

Differentiation in the fisheries industry

  • 47.38% of Minh Phu Seafood’s 2024 sales volume came from traditional shrimp products in Vietnam.[21]
  • 70 countries were supplied by Mowi with salmon and other seafood products in 2025.[22]
  • 50% of Mowi’s revenue came from elaborated salmon, including smoked, marinated, MAP, sushi and other prepared products, in 2025.[22]
  • 7.20% of Nam Viet’s 2024 revenue came from processed tilapia products in Vietnam.[23]
  • 77% of High Liner Foods’ fiscal 2024 sales volume came from the U.S. market, with Canada accounting for 23%.[24]
  • 67% of High Liner Foods’ fiscal 2024 sales volume came through foodservice and 33% through retail.[24]

Mergers and acquisitions in the fisheries industry

  • 77 seafood acquisitions, mergers and significant investment stakes were tallied globally in 2023.[25]
  • $5 million was the estimated cost of the 2023 Atlantic salmon loss caused by the aquaculture-system failure.[26]
  • 7% was the decline in seafood M&A and significant investment activity from 2022 to 2023.[25]
  • 15,000 tonnes was the projected demand for Ontario-farmed trout within five years, described in a 2024 Canadian fisheries industry report.[26]
  • 40 deals had been completed by Sole Source Capital when it acquired Lee Fish USA in 2023.[27]
  • 220-plus farmed and wild-caught seafood products were offered by Lee Fish USA when it was acquired by Sole Source Capital.[27]

Strategic partnerships in the fisheries industry

  • 350 endangered seafood species were banned under Novotel’s sustainable seafood principles launched with WWF in 2025.[28]
  • 18 distribution centers were operated by KeHE under its 2025 national distribution partnership with Blue Star Foods in the United States.[29]
  • 45% of Atlantic Sapphire’s total energy consumption was targeted for offsetting through its 2024 SolarTogether partnership with Florida Power & Light.[28]
  • 600 hotels were covered by Novotel’s global plant-forward and sustainable seafood initiatives developed with WWF in 2025.[28]
  • 7,900-plus employee owners were reported by KeHE in its 2025 partnership with Blue Star Foods.[29]
  • 25 years was the duration of the Lineage and BSF seafood logistics relationship extended in 2026.[29]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Recruitment pressure shows up in age structure. In most EU countries, 50% of fisheries workers were aged 40–64.

Hiring in the fisheries industry

  • 50% of EU fisheries workers were aged 40–64 in most countries, creating a substantial replacement-recruitment requirement.[30]
  • 54% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew had more than 15 years of industry experience in 2023.[18]
  • 37% of jobs in the EU fisheries, aquaculture and fish-processing sectors were in fish processing in 2023.[30]
  • The share of EU fishers under 40 fell from 31% in 2017 to 26% in 2023, indicating weakening recruitment of younger workers.[30]
  • 1,555 people worked in British Columbia aquaculture in 2022.[31]

Employee retention in the fisheries industry

  • Seafood-sector retention in New Zealand fell to approximately 28% after 24 months for the 2015 entrant cohort.[32]
  • Seafood-sector retention in New Zealand fell to approximately 51% after 12 months for the 2015 entrant cohort.[32]
  • 49% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew had considered leaving the industry in 2012.[18]
  • 43% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew had considered leaving the industry in 2023.[18]
  • 78% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew disagreed or strongly disagreed that fishing was merely a job in 2012.[18]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[33]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[34]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[35]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[35]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 33% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working in hybrid arrangements in 2024.[36]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed globally in 2024, respondents averaged 2.1 work-at-home days per week.[37]
  • 44% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred part-time remote work in 2024.[36]
  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[33]
  • 21% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working fully remotely in 2024.[36]

Upskilling in the fisheries industry

  • 5,700 employees were supported by Massachusetts fisheries, processing and related seafood businesses covered by a young-fishermen training framework.[38]
  • 77% of Great Lakes commercial fishing and seafood-processing businesses said they were willing to teach employees the necessary skills on the job.[39]
  • 53% of women in the fisheries and aquaculture primary workforce were employed full time in 2022.[20]
  • 9 months was the duration of a Northeast Fisheries Youth Apprenticeship program designed to prepare young fishers for commercial fishing careers in the United States.[27]
  • $647 million was the ex-vessel value associated with Massachusetts fisheries and seafood businesses covered by the young-fishermen training framework.[38]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[40]
  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[41]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[40]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[40]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[40]

DEI in the fisheries industry

  • 38% of fish farmers, 66% of fishers and 63% of fish processors lacked sex-disaggregated employment data in the OECD members covered by the review.[9]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer experience in the fisheries industry

  • 14% of seafood shoppers cited sustainability as an important purchase factor in the United States in 2025.[42]
  • 6.2 out of 10 was the North American seafood-consumer score for health as a purchase motivation in 2024.[43]
  • 58% of seafood shoppers ranked taste or flavor among their most important purchase factors in the United States in 2025.[42]
  • 42% of seafood shoppers cited total price as an important purchase factor in the United States in 2025.[42]
  • 29% of seafood shoppers cited product appearance as an important purchase factor in the United States in 2025.[42]

Customer retention in the fisheries industry

  • 17.4% of U.S. seafood-eating households cited affordability concerns about their preferred seafood types during the pandemic survey period.[44]
  • 83.7% of U.S. respondents from seafood-eating households purchased seafood for home preparation during the pandemic survey period.[44]
  • 30% of Americans were frequent seafood consumers who ate seafood at least twice weekly in 2023.[45]
  • 8.7 annual trips per buyer was the U.S. fresh-seafood purchase frequency during the 52 weeks ending December 29, 2024.[46]
  • 89% of U.S. households purchased seafood in 2024, indicating broad category retention.[47]

Customer acquisition in the fisheries industry

  • 1.2% was the decline in U.S. seafood dollar sales in 2024, despite 1% growth in unit sales.[47]
  • 12% of consumers said knowing exact origin would most motivate them to buy Alaska-sourced fresh fish in the United States in 2024.[48]
  • $1.51 billion was spent on crab by U.S. seafood shoppers in 2024.[47]
  • $2.57 billion was spent on tuna by U.S. seafood shoppers in 2024.[47]
  • $4.96 billion was spent on shrimp by U.S. seafood shoppers in 2024.[47]

Customer loyalty in the fisheries industry

  • 74% of seafood consumers said brand sustainability claims should be clearly labelled by an independent organization in 2024.[49]
  • 75% of seafood consumers trusted the MSC label in 2024.[49]
  • 87% of consumers in 14 countries said including fish and seafood in daily shopping was important or very important in 2024.[50]
  • 66% of consumers trusted products carrying the BAP label in the five-country survey conducted in 2025.[51]
  • 40% of seafood consumers understood the MSC label without prompting in 2024.[49]

Lead generation in the fisheries industry

  • 15% of consumers identified a freshness claim as the strongest motivator for buying Alaska-sourced fresh fish in 2024.[48]
  • 10% of consumers identified sustainability claims as a motivator for buying Alaska-sourced fresh fish in 2024.[48]
  • 4% of consumers identified QR codes linking to cooking videos as a motivator for buying Alaska-sourced fresh fish in 2024.[48]
  • 36% of consumers said price was their leading consideration when shopping for seafood in the 2024 ASC survey.[50]
  • 10% of consumers identified health claims as a motivator for buying Alaska-sourced fresh fish in 2024.[48]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand work is measured in impressions and reach rather than claims. Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute generated 10.6 billion consumer media impressions during Nov 2023–Oct 2024.

Marketing in the fisheries industry

  • $1 billion in annual sales were reported by Alaska seafood companies as a result of FY2024 international trade shows.[48]
  • More than 60% of the reported U.S. direct seafood marketing workforce were full-time employees.[18]
  • 32.1 million consumers were reached by an Alaska seafood promotion in January 2024.[48]
  • 2% of U.S. direct seafood marketers held both federal and state permits in 2019.[18]
  • 79% of U.S. direct seafood marketers held state fishing permits in 2019.[18]

Digital marketing in the fisheries industry

  • 4.5 billion impressions were generated by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s FY2024 Cook Wild omnichannel campaign.[48]
  • 418% was the year-over-year increase in Alaska seafood trade-media impressions during the November 2023–October 2024 reporting period.[48]
  • 20,000-plus subscribers received the Global Seafood Alliance’s Responsible Seafood Advocate email newsletters in 2025.[51]
  • 6.27% was the West Coast click-through rate for Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Google Ads in spring 2024.[48]
  • 8 U.S. states were targeted by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s spring 2024 Google Ads campaign.[48]

Branding in the fisheries industry

  • 66% of consumers in Canada, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States trusted products carrying the BAP label in 2025.[51]
  • 16% of surveyed consumers across 23 countries had seen the MSC label often in 2024.[49]
  • 43% of consumers in five surveyed countries wanted to learn about responsible seafood on product packaging in 2025.[51]
  • 50% of surveyed consumers across 23 countries had seen the MSC label in 2024.[49]
  • 74% of MSC-aware consumers across 23 countries reported high trust in the MSC label in 2024.[49]

Social media in the fisheries industry

  • 418% was the increase in Alaska seafood trade-media impressions compared with the same point in the prior year.[48]
  • More than 3 million social-media engagements were generated for Alaska seafood during November 2023–October 2024.[48]
  • 10.6 billion consumer media impressions were secured by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute communications during November 2023–October 2024.[48]
  • 96 million or more trade-media impressions were generated for Alaska seafood during the November 2023–October 2024 period.[48]
  • 91% was the increase in Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute consumer media placements compared with the previous report.[48]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[52]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[52]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[52]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[52]
  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[52]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Traceability and documentation coverage define operational compliance. The U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program covered more than 1,100 unique seafood species.

Process optimization in the fisheries industry

  • 20.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals were used for non-food purposes globally in 2020.[20]
  • 59.8 million tonnes of fisheries and aquaculture products were exported globally in 2020.[20]
  • 73% of fish oil was destined for aquaculture, 16% for human consumption and 11% for other uses in the reported period.[20]
  • 2.5 billion pounds of U.S. processed fishery products generated $5.3 billion in revenue in 2023.[53]
  • 81% of non-food aquatic production was processed into fishmeal and fish oil in 2020.[20]

Operational efficiency in the fisheries industry

  • 24% of the global fisheries and aquaculture workforce were women in 2022.[20]
  • 62% of workers in the global fisheries processing subsector were women in 2022.[20]
  • Seafood imports to the United States decreased 19% in value and 9% in volume in 2023 compared with 2022.[54]
  • $8.76 per kilogram was the average price of U.S. seafood imports in 2023.[54]
  • $28.6 billion in value-added impacts were generated by U.S. seafood importers in 2023.[54]

Quality management in the fisheries industry

  • 2 of 7 seafood companies assessed had group-level traceability commitments covering all seafood products and aquaculture feed ingredients in 2024.[55]
  • More than 1,100 unique seafood species are covered by the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program.[18]
  • 2 of 7 assessed seafood companies reported annual progress toward traceability targets in 2024.[55]
  • 42% of seafood audited under the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program complied with traceability requirements in fiscal year 2023.[18]
  • 5% of imported seafood samples lacked species information in a 2024 review of seafood traceability program design.[56]

Supply chain in the fisheries industry

  • $150.5 billion was the global export value of fisheries and aquaculture products in 2020.[20]
  • Inspection costs reached up to $708 per container for Vietnamese seafood exports requiring catch certificates for the European Union market.[57]
  • 70% of the materials purchased monthly by one Vietnamese seafood-processing company were imported after fisheries certification constraints reduced domestic supply.[57]
  • 40% of seafood consumed in the United States was covered by documentation showing where it was caught or identifying the species, according to the cited 2021 estimate.[58]
  • 85% of seafood consumed in the United States was imported, according to NOAA data cited in a 2021 seafood traceability discussion.[58]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[59]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[60]
  • 66% of Queensland food-processing businesses engaged in contract manufacturing to some extent in 2010, including contracting work in or out.[61]
  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[62]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[61]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Prices vary by species and geography, while operating costs can move sharply. UK North Sea beam trawlers under 300 kW saw a 128% operating cost increase in 2023.

Pricing strategy in the fisheries industry

  • €6.71 per kilogram was the 2023 average EU consumer price for cod, up 3% from €6.48 per kilogram in 2022.[63]
  • $1.75 per pound was the February 2023 average regional price for pollock in the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic fisheries.[64]
  • $5.00 per pound was the February 2023 average regional price for black sea bass in the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic fisheries.[64]
  • $4.50 per pound was the February 2023 average regional price for summer flounder in the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic fisheries.[64]
  • $2.00 per pound was the February 2023 average regional price for Loligo squid in the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic fisheries.[64]

Cost reduction in the fisheries industry

  • LKR1.8 million was the estimated installation cost of a bulbous bow on suitable Sri Lankan multiday fishing vessels.[20]
  • 128% was the 2023 increase in operating costs for United Kingdom North Sea beam trawlers under 300 kW before costs eased in 2024.[65]
  • 27% of total operating costs were labour costs for Sri Lankan multiday longliners in 2023.[20]
  • $35 was the median bait cost per bottom-longline trip in the U.S. Southeast in 2022.[18]
  • 508 Sri Lankan multiday longliner vessels between 45 and 55 feet were identified as potentially suitable for bulbous-bow installation.[20]

Profitability in the fisheries industry

  • 7% was the decrease in gross value added generated by the EU fishing fleet between 2021 and 2022.[66]
  • 38% of 21 North and South American fishing-fleet segments had net profit margins above 10%.[67]
  • 22% was the estimated return on investment for the average Sri Lankan multiday longliner in 2023.[20]
  • 49.4% of EU fishing-fleet revenue was represented by gross value added in 2022.[66]
  • 16.4% of EU fishing-fleet revenue was retained as gross profit in 2022.[66]

Financial planning in the fisheries industry

  • $739,700 was the 2019 mean annual revenue per West Coast groundfish catch-share vessel in 2022 dollars.[67]
  • $455,700 was the 2022 mean annual cost excluding quota costs per West Coast groundfish catch-share vessel in 2022 dollars.[67]
  • $75,800 was the 2019 mean annual net revenue after combined quota costs for a West Coast groundfish catch-share vessel in 2022 dollars.[67]
  • 28% was the average reduction in median net revenue when vessel quota leasing costs and earnings were included over the survey period.[67]
  • 33% was the increase in median net earnings per U.S. Southeast pelagic longline trip from 2021 to 2022.[18]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Processed volume and certification schemes frame product value. Global fishery-product trade volume declined 4.3% in 2023 versus 2022.

Product development in the fisheries industry

  • 2.5 billion pounds of processed seafood products were produced by the U.S. industry in 2023.[18]
  • 35% of the global aquatic harvest is estimated to be lost or wasted annually.[20]
  • About 4 million tonnes of aquatic animals were used for bait, pet food, pharmaceuticals and other non-food applications globally in 2020.[20]
  • $12 billion was the estimated value of U.S. domestic edible and industrial processed fishery production in 2023.[53]
  • £4.3 billion was spent on seafood in UK multiple retail during 2023.[65]

Product lifecycle in the fisheries industry

  • 43% of UK retail seafood volume came from chilled products in 2023.[65]
  • U.S. seafood imports totaled $25 billion in 2023.[18]
  • Global fishery-product trade volume declined 4.3% in 2023 compared with 2022.[20]
  • $175 billion was the global export value of aquatic products in 2023.[20]
  • 13% of UK retail seafood value came from ambient products in 2023.[65]

After-sales in the fisheries industry

  • 15 Irish seafood incidents, or 27%, involved alleged illnesses linked to sea-fishery products or live bivalve molluscs in 2024.[68]
  • 80,000 export certificates were issued annually by the U.S. Seafood Inspection Program.[69]
  • 19 Irish seafood incidents, or 34%, were linked to the EU Rapid Alert System in 2024.[68]
  • 10 Irish seafood incidents, or 18%, involved unsatisfactory microbiological or chemical results in 2024.[68]
  • 2.6 billion pounds of seafood were certified annually for export by the U.S. Seafood Inspection Program.[69]

Value proposition in the fisheries industry

  • $69.2 billion in value-added impacts were generated by the U.S. commercial fisheries and seafood industry in 2023.[70]
  • 63,100 tonnes of salmon were sold through UK multiple retail in 2023, the largest volume among listed species.[65]
  • 1 million full- and part-time jobs were supported by the U.S. commercial fisheries and seafood industry in 2023.[70]
  • 41% of U.S. commercial seafood-industry value-added impacts came from imports in 2023.[18]
  • $4.3 billion was the value of seafood sold through UK supermarkets and other large multiple retailers in 2023.[65]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability is tracked through assessed stocks and certification coverage. 72.6% of 2023 landings came from biologically sustainable stocks.

Sustainability in the fisheries industry

  • 2,570 individual marine fish stocks were assessed for biological sustainability in the 2025 global review.[20]
  • 47.4% of assessed fish stocks were sustainably fished in the Eastern Central Atlantic in 2023.[20]
  • 600 million-plus livelihoods were supported worldwide by fisheries and aquaculture in 2024.[20]
  • 100 million tonnes was the first-ever annual aquaculture production threshold exceeded for aquatic animals in 2024.[20]
  • 45% of New Zealand’s total wild catch by volume was MSC certified in 2024.[49]

ESG in the fisheries industry

  • About 25% of global seafood-industry revenue was represented by the 30 companies assessed in the 2023 Seafood Stewardship Index.[71]
  • 9 seafood companies in the reviewed ESG-reporting sample referenced the UN Sustainable Development Goals.[72]
  • 8 seafood companies in the reviewed ESG-reporting sample referenced the Global Reporting Initiative.[72]
  • 3 seafood companies in the reviewed ESG-reporting sample referenced TCFD climate-reporting guidance.[72]
  • 4 seafood companies in the reviewed ESG-reporting sample referenced the UN Global Compact.[72]

Ethics in the fisheries industry

  • 182 million tonnes is the ILO’s projected global fish consumption for 2032.[73]
  • 193,000 tonnes of Indian Ocean tuna were caught by European fleets in the assessment cited by Le Monde.[74]
  • 4.4 million tonnes of tuna are caught globally each year, according to an assessment cited in reporting on fisheries ethics and labor impacts.[74]
  • 330,000 tonnes of tuna were caught annually in the Indian Ocean in the assessment cited by Le Monde.[74]
  • 36% of the global catch from small-scale fisheries was reported in a 2025 UN document as coming from fisheries with the stated characteristic described in the source.[75]

Circular economy in the fisheries industry

  • 48% of global fish-oil production used fish-processing by-products as raw material in 2020.[20]
  • 9–12% of total fish weight can consist of heads generated as processing by-products.[20]
  • 9–15% of total fish weight can consist of bones generated as processing by-products.[20]
  • Up to 70% of processed fish can become by-products, depending on species, size and processing method.[20]
  • 89% of fisheries and aquaculture production was used for direct human consumption in 2020.[20]

Carbon footprint in the fisheries industry

  • 0.1–0.5% of global carbon-dioxide emissions were attributed to fishing vessels in data from 2011.[76]
  • 0.452 kilograms of CO2-equivalent per kilogram was the carbon footprint of Scottish-fleet Atlantic mackerel.[65]
  • 4% of carbon emissions from global food production were attributed to fishing vessels in data from 2011.[76]
  • 4.6 kilograms of CO2-equivalent per kilogram was the estimated whole-life footprint of EU cod.[77]
  • 9.0 kilograms of CO2-equivalent per kilogram was the estimated whole-life footprint of EU shrimp.[77]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade continues to connect producing regions to importers. In 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean recorded a $21 billion aquatic-animal trade surplus.

Globalization in the fisheries industry

  • Latin America and the Caribbean recorded a $21 billion aquatic-animal trade surplus in 2024.[20]
  • Norway exported $15.5 billion of aquatic animal products in 2022, ranking second globally.[20]
  • Ecuador exported $10.1 billion of aquatic animal products in 2022, ranking fourth globally.[20]
  • Viet Nam exported $11.2 billion of aquatic animal products in 2022, ranking third globally.[20]
  • Chile exported $8.5 billion of aquatic animal products in 2022, ranking fifth globally.[20]

Cultural adaptation in the fisheries industry

  • 97% of surveyed Turkish consumers preferred fresh seafood, compared with 84% in Croatia and 79% in Italy.[83]
  • 42% of surveyed Turkish consumers preferred buying seafood directly from fishers on average, rising to 62% among residents on the Black Sea coast.[83]
  • 83% of surveyed Croatian consumers cited freshness as a seafood purchasing driver, compared with 76% in Turkey and 50% in Italy.[83]
  • 60% of surveyed Italian consumers ate one or two seafood servings weekly, compared with 68% in Croatia and 58% in Turkey.[83]
  • 44% of surveyed Italian consumers cited health and nutritional benefits as a seafood purchasing driver, compared with 26% in Turkey and 16% in Croatia.[83]

Supplier management in the fisheries industry

  • 15% of U.S. aquatic-product imports came from Canada in 2024, making Canada the largest reported supplier.[20]
  • High Liner Foods reported that its supplier code of conduct was extended in 2024 to cover packaging and ingredient suppliers as well as fish suppliers.[24]
  • 12% of U.S. aquatic-product imports came from Chile in 2024.[20]
  • 7% of U.S. aquatic-product imports came from Indonesia in 2024.[20]
  • 771,000 tonnes of fishmeal were imported by China from Peru during the first nine months of 2024, nearly 90% of Peru’s total fishmeal exports.[20]

Stakeholder management in the fisheries industry

  • 20.5 million full-time-equivalent jobs were supported by marine fishing, aquaculture and processing globally in 2025.[9]
  • More than 1,700 Indonesian fishers were surveyed across 41 locations in 2024 to inform a tuna harvest strategy.[84]
  • 16,600 hectares were covered by a territorial-use-rights management plan developed with Indigenous communities and local governments in Indonesia.[84]
  • More than 8 million photos of tuna, snapper and small-scale fishery species were contributed by Indonesian fishers through CODRS in 2024.[84]
  • More than 100 traditional fishers contributed to Indonesia’s Crew-Operated Data Recording System in 2024.[84]

Distribution channels in the fisheries industry

  • 45% of surveyed Bulgarian consumers bought fishery products from fishmongers or specialist stores.[85]
  • 72% of unprocessed seafood and aquaculture-product sales in Germany were through retail channels in 2019.[86]
  • 77% of unprocessed seafood and aquaculture-product sales in Spain were through retail channels in 2019.[86]
  • 96% of surveyed Slovak consumers bought fishery products through grocery stores, supermarkets or hypermarkets.[85]
  • 80% of unprocessed seafood and aquaculture-product sales in Italy were through retail channels in 2019.[86]

Key questions about the fisheries industry

How large is global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2024?
Global fisheries and aquaculture production totaled 235 million tonnes in 2024, including 195 million tonnes of aquatic animals.
What growth outlook exists for aquatic animal production?
FAO projects aquatic animal production to reach 214 million tonnes by 2034, from 195 million tonnes in 2024, implying an approximate 0.9% compound annual growth rate.
Which companies lead the fisheries industry?
Mowi leads Gitnux's 2026 fisheries ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with 559,000 tonnes harvested in 2025. SalMar is the runner-up at 9.4, with 10.6% operating margin.
What technology shifts are most visible in fisheries operations and monitoring?
Automatic identification systems cover 80% of EU fishing vessels longer than 15 metres in 2020, and electronic logbooks cover 94% of vessels longer than 12 metres in 2020.
How is production structured across capture fisheries and aquaculture?
Aquaculture supplied 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2024 versus about 92 million tonnes from capture fisheries, and aquaculture production including algae totaled 141 million tonnes valued at $391 billion.
How does sustainability regulation connect to where landings come from?
In 2023, 72.6% of landings originated from biologically sustainable stocks, and FAO also highlights stronger governance, monitoring and surveillance as priorities.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Fisheries Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fisheries-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Fisheries Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/fisheries-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Fisheries Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fisheries-industry-statistics.

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