Fisheries

Total fisheries production has grown steadily since the 1970s, increasing by 3.6 times and contributing to the doubling of worldwide per capita protein consumption. Aquaculture production is an increasingly important contributor to global fisheries production, and its growth is even more rapid than overall fisheries production, increasing 26 times since 1970. Aquaculture production has grown most prominently in Asia, Latin America, and Europe and is used for both animal feed and human consumption. Since 2000, the leading fisheries-harvesting countries have been China, Peru, and the United States. These harvests are not limited to their own aquaculture systems or their nearby and territorial seas; instead, most of the top fisheries-producing countries fish in every ocean and sea on the globe.

Oceans and seas provide 90% of the world's catches, including both wild and aquaculture systems. Wild caught yields have remained relatively stable over the past 10 years, despite increasing fishing effort. In addition, a growing portion of wild caught fisheries' effort and yield comes from international waters and not territorial coastal waters, despite an extension of national ocean and sea boundaries from 3 nautical miles to 12 nautical miles in 1987 (although these boundaries can still vary). The largest yielding oceans and seas are found in the Pacific Ocean, particularly the Northwest Pacific, which produced 15% of all yields in 2006. The Pacific Ocean in 2006 produced 35% of the tonnage in fisheries yields. Parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans continue to grow their yields, whereas the Atlantic fisheries continue to suffer declines. Aquaculture production exists on most continents, inland seas, and within territorial oceans and seas, currently representing more than one third of global fisheries production. Even though aquaculture (farmed fisheries) is found around the globe, the highest concentration is in China: China produced 67% of all aquaculture fish production in 2006. Of farmed fish, 89% comes from all countries in Asia and the Pacific. Aquaculture is currently the fastest growing animal protein production system in the world. Inland fisheries are relatively minor contributors to global production (less than 10%), but a [Page 572]majority of such fisheries are located in African and Asian countries, where 75% of the production is generated.

Anchoveta is the most caught species of fish, followed distantly by Alaska pollock and skipjack tuna. These fish, along with a remaining seven species, including several mackerel species, Atlantic herring, Japanese anchovy, yellowfin tuna, and whiting, comprise 30% of the global fisheries catch. In aquaculture systems, 55% of the production comes from freshwater fin species, followed by crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobsters) in both fresh and marine waters and mollusks (clams, cuttlefish, snails, squid, octopus, oyster) in both fresh and marine waters. Far down the list are farmed marine fisheries, such as sea bass and halibut, even though these fisheries have overtaken their wild counterparts in capture yields and have also garnered significant media and advocacy attention.

Technological advances in the science of sonar, radar, mapping of oceans, communication, and capture methods have increased fishers' ability to find and effectively harvest fish. Furthermore, on-ship storage, shipping speed, and ship-to-air transport methods and infrastructure have increased the mobility and reach of fish harvesting companies and their connection to markets.

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