From the staggering 90.3 million tonnes of fish pulled from our global oceans to the economic force of 28 million American anglers spending billions on their passion, these statistics reveal a world deeply and complexly hooked on fishing.
Key Takeaways
- In 2020, global capture fisheries production reached 90.3 million tonnes, a slight decrease from previous years due to overfishing pressures in key regions, FAO
- The United States commercial fishing industry landed 4.8 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2022, valued at $5.9 billion at the dock
- China's capture fisheries production in 2021 was approximately 15.5 million tonnes, accounting for 17% of global total
- In 2022, 54.4 million Americans aged 6 and older participated in fishing at least once, representing 17% of the population
- The number of paid fishing license holders in the US reached 28 million in 2022
- Freshwater fishing accounted for 86% of all recreational fishing trips in the US in 2022, totaling 452 million trips
- Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020, including 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals
- China produced 60.1 million tonnes of aquatic products from aquaculture in 2021, 62% of global total
- Norway's salmon aquaculture output was 1.4 million tonnes in 2022
- Global fisheries and aquaculture contributed $406 billion to GDP in 2020
- US recreational fishing generated $141 billion in economic output in 2022, supporting 1.8 million jobs
- Commercial fishing in the US contributed $77 billion to GDP in 2022
- Global fish stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels reached 37.4% in 2020
- 64.6% of assessed fish stocks were fished within sustainable levels in 2020 globally
- Marine protected areas covering fisheries expanded to 8.4% of oceans by 2022
The global fishing industry faces pressures from overfishing but remains economically vital.
Aquaculture Output
- Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020, including 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals
- China produced 60.1 million tonnes of aquatic products from aquaculture in 2021, 62% of global total
- Norway's salmon aquaculture output was 1.4 million tonnes in 2022
- Vietnam's aquaculture production hit 5.1 million tonnes in 2022, led by shrimp and pangasius
- India's aquaculture output grew to 14.2 million tonnes in 2021-22, with carp dominant
- Indonesia's seaweed aquaculture produced 11.6 million tonnes fresh weight in 2022
- Bangladesh's freshwater aquaculture yielded 4.8 million tonnes in 2022, mainly carp and tilapia
- Chile's Atlantic salmon production was 600,000 tonnes in 2022
- Thailand's shrimp aquaculture output was 320,000 tonnes in 2022
- Egypt's aquaculture production reached 2.5 million tonnes in 2022, dominated by tilapia
- US catfish aquaculture produced 140,000 tonnes in 2022
- Iran's trout production from aquaculture was 180,000 tonnes in 2022
- Philippines' tilapia aquaculture output was 150,000 tonnes in 2022
- Ecuador's shrimp farms produced 1.2 million tonnes in 2022
- Scotland's salmon farms yielded 170,000 tonnes in 2022
- Greece's sea bream and sea bass production was 50,000 tonnes in 2022
- Turkey's trout aquaculture hit 500,000 tonnes in 2022
- Malaysia's aquaculture output was 500,000 tonnes in 2022, including groupers
- Myanmar's freshwater aquaculture produced 700,000 tonnes in 2022
- Nigeria's catfish farms output reached 300,000 tonnes in 2022
- Denmark's rainbow trout production was 30,000 tonnes in 2022
- Canada farmed 170,000 tonnes of salmon in 2022
- Australia's tuna ranching processed 5,000 tonnes in 2022
- Netherlands' mussel production was 60,000 tonnes in 2022
- Japan's eel aquaculture yielded 7,000 tonnes in 2022
- Peru's trout farms produced 45,000 tonnes in 2022
Aquaculture Output Interpretation
While China practically cornered the aquaculture pond by producing nearly two-thirds of its animal share, a host of nations—from Norway’s salmon riches to Vietnam’s shrimp surge and Bangladesh’s carp-filled waters—are proving we’re no longer just hunting the seas but farming them with staggering, and sometimes eyebrow-raising, efficiency.
Commercial Fishing Production
- In 2020, global capture fisheries production reached 90.3 million tonnes, a slight decrease from previous years due to overfishing pressures in key regions, FAO
- The United States commercial fishing industry landed 4.8 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2022, valued at $5.9 billion at the dock
- China's capture fisheries production in 2021 was approximately 15.5 million tonnes, accounting for 17% of global total
- In the European Union, the total allowable catch (TAC) for Atlantic herring in 2023 was set at 142,000 tonnes by the EU fisheries council
- Alaska pollock landings in 2022 totaled 2.8 million metric tons, making it the largest single-species fishery in the US
- Global tuna catch exceeded 5 million tonnes annually since 2018, with skipjack tuna comprising 60% of that volume
- Norway's cod fishery in the Barents Sea yielded 1.2 million tonnes in the 2022/2023 season
- Shrimp landings in the Gulf of Mexico reached 250 million pounds in 2021, valued at over $600 million
- Peru's anchovita fishery produced 2.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2023
- Iceland's demersal fish catch was 1.1 million tonnes in 2022, with haddock leading at 250,000 tonnes
- Russia's Pacific salmon catch in 2022 was 450,000 tonnes, primarily pink and chum species
- Japan's distant water squid jigging fleet caught 300,000 tonnes of flying squid in 2021
- Vietnam's marine capture production hit 4.2 million tonnes in 2022, driven by small-scale fisheries
- South Africa's hake trawl fishery quota for 2023 was 145,000 tonnes
- Morocco's sardine catch reached 900,000 tonnes in 2022 despite stock fluctuations
- Chile's jack mackerel fishery produced 1.4 million tonnes in 2022
- Thailand's marine fish catch was 1.8 million tonnes in 2021
- Indonesia's tuna catch exceeded 1 million tonnes in 2022
- India's marine landings grew to 4.8 million tonnes in 2021-22
- Australia's southern bluefin tuna TAC was 5,265 tonnes for 2022/23 season
- New Zealand's hoki fishery quota was 100,000 tonnes for 2023
- Canada's Atlantic groundfish landings were 400,000 tonnes in 2022
- Mexico's shrimp production from capture was 200,000 tonnes in 2022
- Ecuador's tuna purse seine catch was 500,000 tonnes in 2022
- Greenland's shrimp catch totaled 120,000 tonnes in 2022
- Spain's cephalopod landings were 150,000 tonnes in 2022
- Denmark's industrial pelagic fishery caught 1.5 million tonnes in 2022
- Faroe Islands' blue whiting quota was 300,000 tonnes for 2023
- Senegalese cephalopod exports derived from 80,000 tonnes catch in 2022
- Namibia's horse mackerel purse seine landed 400,000 tonnes in 2022
Commercial Fishing Production Interpretation
The oceans are giving us a staggering global buffet of over 90 million tonnes a year, but the frantic pace at which we're filling our plates—from Peru's anchovies to Alaska's pollock—hints that the kitchen is starting to run low on some of the most popular dishes.
Economic Contributions
- Global fisheries and aquaculture contributed $406 billion to GDP in 2020
- US recreational fishing generated $141 billion in economic output in 2022, supporting 1.8 million jobs
- Commercial fishing in the US contributed $77 billion to GDP in 2022
- Aquaculture sector employed 21.9 million people globally in 2020
- Norway's seafood industry exports reached €17 billion in 2022
- China's fisheries GDP contribution was 1.2% of national GDP in 2021
- EU fisheries and aquaculture turnover was €28 billion in 2021, employing 135,000 fishers
- Vietnam's aquaculture exports hit $2.7 billion in 2022
- India's seafood exports reached $7.8 billion in 2021-22
- Alaska's fishing industry generated $5.8 billion in income in 2022
- Japan's seafood imports totaled $15 billion in 2022
- Global seafood trade value was $165 billion in 2020
- UK seafood industry contributed £4.2 billion to economy in 2022
- Chile's salmon exports were $6.2 billion in 2022
- Thailand's fisheries exports reached $6.9 billion in 2022
- Ecuador's shrimp exports totaled $6.7 billion in 2022
- Indonesia's fisheries exports were $5.1 billion in 2022
- Canada's seafood exports hit CAD 9.5 billion in 2022
- South Korea's seafood consumption expenditure was $20 billion in 2022
- Australia's fisheries production value was AUD 3.2 billion in 2021-22
- Peru's fishmeal exports from anchoveta were $2.1 billion in 2022
- Morocco's seafood exports reached €2.3 billion in 2022
- Denmark's seafood exports were DKK 50 billion in 2022
Economic Contributions Interpretation
While the world casts its nets and lines across the globe—from Norway's salmon runs to Vietnam's shrimp ponds—it's clear this isn't just about fish; it's a multi-hundred-billion-dollar economic engine that puts food on the table and millions to work, proving that humanity's oldest harvest is still a modern financial powerhouse.
Recreational Fishing Participation
- In 2022, 54.4 million Americans aged 6 and older participated in fishing at least once, representing 17% of the population
- The number of paid fishing license holders in the US reached 28 million in 2022
- Freshwater fishing accounted for 86% of all recreational fishing trips in the US in 2022, totaling 452 million trips
- Women made up 24% of freshwater anglers in the US in 2022, up from 20% in 2016
- Youth participation (ages 6-17) in US fishing was 7.3 million anglers in 2022
- Saltwater fishing trips in the US totaled 141 million in 2022, with Florida leading at 24 million trips
- Average annual fishing expenditures per US angler were $1,500 in 2022
- 40% of US anglers fished in private ponds or lakes in 2022
- Black or African American participation in fishing rose to 10% of US anglers in 2022 from 8% in 2017
- Hispanic/Latino anglers comprised 17% of US fishing participants in 2022
- In the UK, 4.1 million people went coarse fishing in 2022
- Australia's recreational fishing participation was 4.4 million people (17% of population) in 2022-23
- In Canada, 3.6 million people fished recreationally in 2022, representing 11% of population
- Japan's recreational fishing market saw 15 million participants in 2022
- France had 2.5 million licensed recreational anglers in 2022
- Germany's freshwater angling licenses totaled 1.2 million in 2022
- Italy's sport fishing federation reported 800,000 members in 2022
- Brazil's recreational fishing events numbered over 1,000 annually, with 2 million participants estimated in 2022
- South Africa's recreational linefish catch was estimated at 25,000 tonnes in 2022
- New Zealand had 700,000 recreational fishers in 2022, catching 40,000 tonnes
- Sweden's ice fishing participants reached 500,000 in winter 2022
- Poland's carp angling during holidays saw 1 million participants in 2022
- Netherlands had 1.5 million recreational anglers in 2022
- Finland's angling license sales were 1.8 million in 2022
- Norway's recreational salmon fishing caught 300 tonnes in 2022, with 50,000 participants
- Ireland's coarse angling grew to 200,000 participants in 2022
- Spain's recreational sea angling estimated at 1 million fishers in 2022
Recreational Fishing Participation Interpretation
It seems America is quietly leading a global, gender-diverse, and surprisingly well-funded aquatic rebellion, where over 54 million people are proving that fishing is far from a niche pastime by quietly bankrolling a $1,500-per-head pursuit of peace and pond bass.
Sustainability and Conservation
- Global fish stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels reached 37.4% in 2020
- 64.6% of assessed fish stocks were fished within sustainable levels in 2020 globally
- Marine protected areas covering fisheries expanded to 8.4% of oceans by 2022
- Over 35% of global shark and ray populations are now threatened with extinction as of 2023
- US National Marine Fisheries Service rebuilt 50 fish stocks since 2000, with 41 sustainable in 2022
- EU landing obligation reduced discards by 40% in demersal fisheries by 2022
- By-catch in global tuna fisheries accounts for 20-30% of total catch
- Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing represents up to 26% of global catch value
- Coral reef fish stocks are depleted in 37% of assessed reefs worldwide
- Plastic pollution affects 88% of surface ocean waters, impacting fish populations
- Climate change is projected to reduce fish catch potential by 3 million tonnes per year by 2050
- Norway's cod stock biomass exceeded 1.5 million tonnes in 2023, above sustainable levels
- 90% of large predatory fish populations depleted compared to virgin biomass globally
- Aquaculture now supplies 51% of fish for human consumption, reducing wild capture pressure
- Bycatch of sea turtles in shrimp trawls reduced 99% with TEDs in US since 1990s
- Global fisheries subsidies total $35 billion annually, 22% capacity-enhancing
- 30% of Mediterranean fish stocks overexploited as of 2022
- Pacific bluefin tuna stock increased 10-fold since 2010 due to management
- Microplastics found in 73% of fish sampled from global markets
- Acidification projected to decrease shellfish calcification by 40% by 2100
- 78 million tonnes of nitrogen pollution from aquaculture globally per year
- US recreational release mortality estimated at 10-15% for billfish species
- West African small pelagics stocks declined 50% since 2012 due to overfishing
- 100% traceability achieved in EU seafood imports via catch certificates
- Global ghost fishing from lost gear kills 640,000 whales/seals yearly estimate
- 41% of assessed chondrichthyans (sharks/rays) threatened globally in 2023
Sustainability and Conservation Interpretation
Our oceans are like a poorly run buffet where over a third of the dishes are being grabbed faster than they can be replenished, yet we’re still arguing over who gets the last fork while half the guests are already getting sick.
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