For the first time in history, the fish on our plates are now more likely to have been farmed than caught in the wild, a monumental shift driven by soaring global consumption and the quiet decline of our ocean's natural bounty.
Key Takeaways
- Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020, representing 51% of total seafood production.
- Capture fisheries production was 56.2 million tonnes in 2020, down 4.0% from 2018 levels due to declining stocks.
- China led global aquaculture production with 52.2 million tonnes in 2020, accounting for 42.6% of world total.
- World per capita seafood supply from aquaculture increased to 20.7 kg in 2020.
- Global seafood consumption reached 196.3 million tonnes in 2020, equivalent to 28.5 kg per capita.
- Asia accounted for 73% of global seafood consumption in 2020 at 143 million tonnes.
- Global value of seafood trade reached $164 billion in 2020.
- Seafood exports grew 7% to $155 billion in 2021 globally.
- China exported $18 billion in seafood in 2022, largest exporter.
- Global seafood industry generated $401 billion in revenue in 2022.
- Aquaculture economic contribution was $281 billion in 2020 globally.
- Capture fisheries GDP contribution estimated at $120 billion annually.
- Global seafood employment totaled 59 million people in 2020.
- Aquaculture employed 22.1 million in 2020, up 11% from 2018.
- Capture fisheries full-time jobs 21 million, mostly small-scale.
Aquaculture now surpasses wild catch in global seafood production.
Consumption
- World per capita seafood supply from aquaculture increased to 20.7 kg in 2020.
- Global seafood consumption reached 196.3 million tonnes in 2020, equivalent to 28.5 kg per capita.
- Asia accounted for 73% of global seafood consumption in 2020 at 143 million tonnes.
- China consumed 65 million tonnes of aquatic products in 2022, 38% of global total.
- EU seafood consumption was 12 kg per capita in 2021, below the global average.
- US per capita seafood consumption was 8.2 kg in 2021, up 1% from prior year.
- Japan consumed 40 kg per capita seafood in 2021, highest in high-income countries.
- Global inland fisheries contributed 13.3 kg per capita supply in low-income countries in 2020.
- Shrimp consumption worldwide grew 5% to 5.5 million tonnes in 2022.
- Salmon consumption reached 3.5 million tonnes in 2022, with Norway supplying 50%.
- Tuna consumption was 7.2 million tonnes in 2021, led by canned products.
- India’s seafood consumption hit 8.5 kg per capita in 2022.
- Africa’s seafood consumption grew 2.5% annually to 9.5 kg per capita in 2020.
- Processed seafood consumption in the US was 4.9 kg per capita in 2021.
- Global demand for pangasius reached 1.5 million tonnes in 2022.
- EU imported 6.1 million tonnes of seafood in 2022 worth €25 billion.
- Brazil's per capita seafood consumption was 3.5 kg in 2021.
- South Korea consumed 55 kg per capita seafood in 2021.
- Global canned tuna consumption was 3.2 million tonnes in 2022.
- Nigeria’s fish consumption gap was 2.2 million tonnes in 2022.
- Australia’s seafood consumption was 13.5 kg per capita in 2021.
- Global seaweed consumption for food reached 28 million tonnes in 2020.
- Mexico consumed 12 kg per capita seafood in 2021.
- Thailand’s per capita consumption was 35 kg in 2022.
- UK seafood consumption fell to 10.5 kg per capita in 2021 post-Brexit.
- Indonesia consumed 55 kg per capita aquatic products in 2022.
- Vietnam’s seafood consumption reached 42 kg per capita in 2021.
Consumption Interpretation
While Asia voraciously leads the global seafood feast, with Japan and South Korea setting the high-income pace, the EU and US linger at the kids' table, picking at their plates as aquaculture quietly becomes the world's new breadbasket of the sea.
Economics
- Global seafood industry generated $401 billion in revenue in 2022.
- Aquaculture economic contribution was $281 billion in 2020 globally.
- Capture fisheries GDP contribution estimated at $120 billion annually.
- China’s seafood industry valued at $150 billion in 2022.
- Norway’s seafood sector contributed 7% to national exports worth €16.5B.
- Global seafood processing market size was $320 billion in 2023.
- US seafood industry economic impact $240 billion including multipliers.
- Vietnam’s seafood exports generated $9B, supporting 4 million jobs.
- EU fisheries and aquaculture GDP €28 billion in 2021.
- Global fishmeal market value $12 billion in 2022.
- Salmon farming profitability averaged 25% ROI in Norway 2022.
- India’s seafood exports earned $8B forex in 2022-23.
- Shrimp farming market projected to $75B by 2028.
- Global seafood retail sales $150 billion in 2022.
- Chile salmon industry exports $9B, 25% of national food exports.
- Thailand seafood industry GDP contribution 2.5% or $15B.
- Indonesia fisheries GDP $20 billion in 2022.
- Russia seafood sector revenue $8 billion in 2022.
- Ecuador shrimp exports $7B, 60% of non-oil exports.
- Global aquaculture feed market $60 billion in 2023.
- Peru fishmeal industry $5B annually.
- Japan seafood market size $50 billion in 2022.
- Bangladesh shrimp exports $0.5B, key forex earner.
- Global seafood e-commerce sales grew 20% to $10B in 2022.
- Canada fisheries economic impact $13B CAD.
- Morocco fisheries exports $2.5B, 20% of agricultural exports.
Economics Interpretation
While humanity is mastering the art of farming the sea with increasingly profitable efficiency, the old hunt still pulls its weight, proving that when it comes to feeding the world, we're casting both nets and balance sheets.
Employment
- Global seafood employment totaled 59 million people in 2020.
- Aquaculture employed 22.1 million in 2020, up 11% from 2018.
- Capture fisheries full-time jobs 21 million, mostly small-scale.
- Women comprised 50% of aquaculture workforce globally.
- China had 14.5 million aquaculture workers in 2020.
- India fisheries sector employed 14 million people in 2022.
- Vietnam seafood processing jobs 0.8 million, 60% women.
- Indonesia small-scale fishers numbered 6 million in 2022.
- EU fisheries direct employment 135,000 full-time equivalents in 2021.
- US commercial fishing and processing 1.2 million jobs.
- Bangladesh fisheries employed 12 million, 11% workforce.
- Norway aquaculture jobs 12,000 full-time in 2022.
- Philippines fisheries sector 1.6 million fishers.
- Thailand seafood processing 200,000 workers.
- Africa small-scale fishers 12 million.
- Chile salmon industry 60,000 direct jobs.
- Myanmar aquaculture 1.2 million jobs.
- Russia fishing fleet employed 150,000.
- Ecuador shrimp farming 250,000 jobs.
- Global post-harvest processing 20 million jobs.
- Peru anchoveta fishery seasonal jobs 50,000.
- South Korea aquaculture 100,000 workers.
- Global fisheries youth employment 10 million under 25.
- Canada fisheries 60,000 direct jobs.
- 90% of fishers in developing countries are small-scale artisanal.
Employment Interpretation
The ocean may be vast, but its bounty is tended by a vast human network—59 million strong and counting—where small-scale fishers still anchor the trade, women hold up half the farms, and a flurry of jobs from pond to plate proves that feeding the planet is a seriously hands-on operation.
Production
- Global aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes in 2020, representing 51% of total seafood production.
- Capture fisheries production was 56.2 million tonnes in 2020, down 4.0% from 2018 levels due to declining stocks.
- China led global aquaculture production with 52.2 million tonnes in 2020, accounting for 42.6% of world total.
- Inland aquaculture production grew to 51.7 million tonnes in 2020, surpassing marine aquaculture for the first time.
- Norway produced 1.46 million tonnes of Atlantic salmon in 2022, the highest ever recorded.
- Global seaweed production hit 35.1 million tonnes in 2020, with China producing 23.8 million tonnes.
- Shrimp aquaculture production worldwide was 5.8 million tonnes in 2021, led by Asia with 90% share.
- Tilapia production reached 6.5 million tonnes in 2022, primarily from China and Indonesia.
- Global carp production exceeded 25 million tonnes in 2020, dominated by freshwater systems in Asia.
- Molluscs accounted for 59.9% of aquaculture production volume in 2020 at 71.5 million tonnes.
- World capture fisheries production from marine waters was 81.5 million tonnes in 2020, excluding aquatic plants.
- Peru's anchoveta fishery produced 2.1 million tonnes in 2022, the largest single-species capture.
- Indonesia's capture fisheries output was 7.5 million tonnes in 2021.
- Vietnam's aquaculture production grew 8.5% to 5.1 million tonnes in 2022.
- Global production of farmed catfish reached 2.8 million tonnes in 2020, led by Vietnam.
- Marine finfish aquaculture produced 6.9 million tonnes in 2020, up 5% from 2018.
- Ecuador's shrimp production hit 1.2 million tonnes in 2022, a record high.
- India's marine fish production was 4.9 million tonnes in 2021-22.
- Bangladesh aquaculture output reached 4.8 million tonnes in 2021, driven by pangasius and tilapia.
- Japan's seaweed production was 6.3 million tonnes in 2020.
- Chile's salmon production was 0.78 million tonnes in 2022.
- Thailand's shrimp aquaculture yielded 0.32 million tonnes in 2022.
- Global trout production from aquaculture was 0.85 million tonnes in 2020.
- Russia's capture fisheries production was 5.1 million tonnes in 2022.
- Philippines inland aquaculture produced 1.2 million tonnes in 2022.
- Global production of oysters reached 6.2 million tonnes in 2020.
- Denmark's aquaculture output was 0.045 million tonnes in 2022, mostly trout.
- Iran's capture fisheries production grew to 1.1 million tonnes in 2021.
- Myanmar's aquaculture production was 1.0 million tonnes in 2020.
- Global mussel production hit 18.5 million tonnes in 2020.
Production Interpretation
The oceans are now taking notes from the ponds, as aquaculture's 51% market share proves we've finally out-fished the fishermen.
Sustainability
- Global fish stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels 35% in 2020.
- Aquaculture growth rate 5.8% annually 2000-2020, outpacing capture.
- 57% of assessed fish stocks underexploited or moderately exploited in 2020.
- Marine protected areas cover 7.3% of oceans, up from 2.6% in 2010.
- Bycatch represents 10% of global marine catch, 8 million tonnes annually.
- Overfishing affects 34.2% of stocks, highest in Eastern Central Atlantic.
- Global seafood carbon footprint 1.8 Gt CO2-eq annually.
- Aquaculture antibiotics use 10,000 tonnes/year, resistance risks rising.
- 78% of global fish stocks monitored, but data gaps in small-scale fisheries.
- Mangrove loss for shrimp farming 35% since 1980, 1 million ha.
- Tuna stocks 60% overfished in Pacific, RFMOs efforts ongoing.
- Sustainable certified seafood sales $10B in 2022, MSC leading.
- Illegal fishing accounts for 11-26% of catch, $23-50B loss.
- Global fish biomass projected decline 20% by 2050 without action.
- Aquaculture escapees impact wild stocks, 300 million salmon escape yearly.
- Coral reef fisheries provide 1/6 protein for 500 million people, threatened.
- Microplastics in seafood 0.1-10 particles/g, human intake risks.
- Climate change shifts fish distribution 72km/decade poleward.
- 50% reduction in discards needed for MSY by 2025 per UN goal.
Sustainability Interpretation
Despite the ocean’s ledger showing some stocks recovering and more space becoming protected, the overall picture is a race between growing aquaculture and rampant overfishing, where we're losing mangroves, drowning in bycatch, and counting microplastics, all while the climate shifts the goalposts and illegal fleets cash in—a precarious balance sheet for a planet hooked on seafood.
Sustainability, source url: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2705-z
- Plastic pollution in oceans from fisheries 640,000 tonnes gear annually., category: Sustainability
Sustainability, source url: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2705-z Interpretation
The fishing industry casts about 640,000 tonnes of plastic gear into the ocean each year, which is a trawl-ty of errors in our pursuit of sustainability.
Trade
- Global value of seafood trade reached $164 billion in 2020.
- Seafood exports grew 7% to $155 billion in 2021 globally.
- China exported $18 billion in seafood in 2022, largest exporter.
- Norway’s seafood exports hit €16.5 billion in 2022, record high.
- EU was the largest importer with €65 billion in seafood in 2022.
- US seafood imports totaled $25.5 billion in 2022, 90% of consumption.
- Vietnam exported $9 billion in seafood in 2022, up 10%.
- Ecuador shrimp exports reached $6.7 billion in 2022.
- India’s seafood exports were $8 billion in 2022-23.
- Global shrimp trade volume was 6.2 million tonnes in 2022.
- Salmon trade value exceeded $20 billion in 2022.
- Tuna trade was worth $12 billion in 2021.
- China imported $20 billion seafood in 2022.
- Japan imported $15 billion in seafood products in 2022.
- Thailand exported $6.9 billion in seafood in 2022.
- Russia’s seafood exports were $3.5 billion in 2022, mainly crab and pollock.
- Chile exported $9 billion in salmon in 2022.
- Indonesia’s seafood exports hit $5.5 billion in 2022.
- Global frozen fish trade volume was 10.5 million tonnes in 2021.
- South Korea imported $3.2 billion seafood in 2022.
- Peru exported $4.5 billion in fishmeal in 2022.
- Canada’s seafood exports reached $9.3 billion CAD in 2022.
- Morocco’s sardine exports were $1.8 billion in 2022.
- Netherlands re-exported €12 billion seafood in 2022.
- Global trade in live/fresh fish grew 12% to $5 billion in 2021.
- Bangladesh exported $0.5 billion shrimp in 2022.
- Spain imported €6.5 billion seafood in 2022.
Trade Interpretation
While the ocean's bounty may be vast, the global appetite for seafood has turned it into a precisely measured, multi-billion dollar chessboard where nations jockey for position as exporters, importers, and value-added masters of the aquatic trade.
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