For the first time, farmed fish production has become the primary source of fish. It surpassed the catch from traditional fishing, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced on Friday.
In its latest report on world fisheries, the Rome-based FAO stated that global fisheries and aquafarming reached a record 223.2 million tonnes in 2022.
Aquafarming involves breeding fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants for human consumption. It has become the main source of how humans get fish.
According to the FAO, aquafarming reached an unprecedented 130.9 million tonnes in 2022, of which 94.4 million tonnes were fish.
FAO assistant director-general Manuel Barange said aquafarming has been the fastest-growing food production system globally for the last five decades.
China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Philippines, South Korea, Norway, Egypt, and Chile accounted for almost 90% of all aquaculture production.
The FAO wants the industry to develop in other regions, particularly Africa, which currently imports more fish than it produces.
Critics argue aquafarming can harm the environment and introduce diseases and invasive species into the wild. Many farm fish suffer from parasitic infections, diseases, and painful injuries and live in cramped, filthy enclosures, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said.
The report also revealed that global per person annual consumption of aquatic animal foods totaled 20.7 kg in 2022, up from 9.1 kg in 1961. This consumption is expected to increase further in the coming years.
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