FAO Global Fisheries Report 2016: Where Are the Most Severe Areas of Global Overfishing?
On July 7, 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016. The FAO report pointed out that although some areas had made significant progress, global wild fishery resources had not improved overall.
In September 2015, United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The agenda emphasizes the sustainable use of natural resources through fisheries and aquaculture to support social, economic, and environmental development. Human food production on land has shifted from hunting and gathering to agriculture, while aquatic food production has also moved increasingly from wild capture to aquaculture. In 2014, global consumption of aquaculture products exceeded that of wild-caught aquatic products for the first time. To meet the growing demand for qualified edible fish, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development plays an important role, although its implementation remains challenging.
Since the late 1980s, aquaculture production has grown significantly. In 1974, aquaculture accounted for only 7% of total aquatic product output. By 1994, the share had increased to 24%. In 2014, aquaculture accounted for 45% of total aquatic production. Based on the continued growth trend, global aquaculture output may exceed wild capture production in the future.
Over the past five decades, from 1961 to 2013, the global population grew at an average annual rate of 3.2%. Annual per capita consumption of aquatic products increased from 9.9 kg in the 1960s to 14.4 kg in the 1990s and reached 19.7 kg in 2013. Consumption was expected to grow further in 2014 and 2015, exceeding 20 kg. The increase in fishery production and aquatic product consumption has been largely driven by aquaculture. Population growth, improved sales channels, rising per capita income, and accelerated urbanization have all stimulated demand for aquatic foods. The development of international trade has also played an important role by giving consumers more choices.
Global Marine Capture Production:
According to FAO data, the top ten countries in marine capture production were China, Indonesia, the United States, Russia, Japan, Peru, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Norway. As the world’s most populous country, China also ranked first in marine capture production. In 2013, China produced approximately 13.97 million tonnes, accounting for 17% of global output. In 2014, China produced approximately 14.81 million tonnes, accounting for 18% of global output. As a major aquatic products producer, China faces many challenges. China’s fishery resources have entered a period of serious decline. Due to long-term high-intensity fishing in offshore waters, wild fish resources have become increasingly limited. At the same time, aquaculture has developed rapidly, and inland and coastal aquaculture areas have expanded. Traditional spawning grounds, feeding grounds, and fishing grounds have faced pressure and functional degradation. High-density aquaculture has also created product quality concerns, while environmental pollution has placed further pressure on ecological resources.
Severe Overfishing Areas:
According to global fishery resource trends from 1974 to 2013, the share of sustainable fishery resources declined significantly, from 90% in 1974 to 68.6% in 2013. By 2013, 31.4% of the world’s wild fish resources had reached unsustainable levels due to overfishing. This percentage may continue to rise in the future, making it an issue that requires serious attention. The Northwest Pacific remained the most active area for capture fisheries, followed by the Western Central Pacific, the Northeast Pacific, and the Eastern Indian Ocean. Capture production in the Mediterranean and Black Sea declined year by year, with overfishing rates in these waters reaching approximately 60%.
In April 2016, at the global seafood exhibition in Brussels, the European Union officially proposed MEDFISH4EVER, a plan to protect fish resources in the Mediterranean. The EU pointed out that 93% of Mediterranean fishery resources faced overfishing, creating an urgent situation. Without decisive action, the Mediterranean could face severe resource depletion. The region needs to end overfishing as soon as possible and place greater focus on aquaculture development to restore wild fish resources.
The report predicted that by 2021, aquaculture products would become the main source of aquatic product consumption and exceed wild fish supply for the first time. It also predicted that aquatic product output in 2025 would increase by 17% compared with 2014. This growth would mainly come from aquaculture rather than wild fish. Only 1% of the growth was expected to come from wild fish, while aquaculture would become the main driver.
Commitment to Sustainable Fisheries:
“Overfishing creates immeasurable impacts on the global environment and significant pressure on the ocean economy. Only sustainable fishery management and an end to overfishing can help restore fishery resources,” said Mr. Gustavsson, a representative of a global ocean conservation organization. The vast ocean is like a treasure chest that offers rich resources to humanity. However, these resources are not unlimited. All living systems need time to recover. Excessive extraction today may lead to serious depletion in the future. In the face of today’s fishery resource challenges, sustainable fisheries have become increasingly urgent. We need to accelerate the transformation of development models, use marine fishery resources responsibly, strengthen marine environmental protection, promote ecological restoration, and pursue a modern marine fishery path that delivers efficient output, safe products, resource conservation, and environmental responsibility.