AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY

Aquaculture has played a significant role in increasing food security and reducing poverty in recent years. This sector is progressively growing and diversifying through the use of innovative technologies. Fish farming, a promising activity providing high nutritional value and contributing significantly to protein production, has attracted substantial investments from major aquaculture companies to efficiently produce different fish species (Araujo et al., 2022).

Aquaculture involves human interventions in processes such as breeding, storage, feeding, and protection against predators to enhance production. In 2020, global fish production (from both fishing and aquaculture) reached approximately 177.8 million tons according to FAO data. Of this production, 90.3 million tons came from fishing, while 87.5 million tons were attributed to aquaculture. In 2020, global seafood exports amounted to 151 billion USD, reaching around 60 million tons in live weight. The majority of seafood production in 2020 occurred in freshwater (54.4 million tons, representing 62.2% of the world’s total). Despite regional and country-specific differences, global aquaculture demonstrated growth in 2020, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Finfish aquaculture, particularly with a stable growth rate of about 66%, played a significant role in global aquaculture, with the production of finfish reaching 57.5 million tons in 2020, predominantly sourced from freshwater aquaculture (FAO, 2022).

According to FAO, the most prominent organism group in aquaculture in 2020 was freshwater fish, followed by seaweeds. This highlights the importance of fish farming in global food production. The development of aquaculture exhibits varying growth patterns across regions. Asia maintained its dominance in aquaculture, producing 91.6% of global aquatic animals and algae in 2020. However, there are substantial development disparities among Asian countries, with some requiring an accelerated development process to fully harness the potential of aquaculture (FAO, 2022).

References:

Araujo, G. S., Silva, J. W. A. D., Cotas, J., & Pereira, L. (2022). Fish Farming Techniques: Current Situation and Trends. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 10(11), 1598.

FAO. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture – Towards Blue Growth; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy, 2022.