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| | | Fisheries and Aquaculture |
Maintained by FAO-FI
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|  Marine capture fisheries and marine aquaculture together produce about just below 100 million tonnes of fish (in round weight equivalent), or about 80 % of the total quantity of fish produced by the inland and marine aquatic ecosystems. Ocean fisheries provide directly and indirectly livelihoods to a large proportion of the 140 million people who, globally, are estimated to depend on fisheries and aquaculture for a living. Recreational fisheries contribute also substantially to the global economy, tourism development, and quality of life. Fish and fish products provide a variable but significant proportion of humanity's animal protein needs. For many of the world's most vulnerable people living on coastal zones or islands it is a particularly important and often vital source of protein and of many micronutrients necessary for a healthy life. | | |  The intrinsic value of marine life and the socio-economic importance of the fishery sector underpin the necessity for governments, to establish effective management systems in their exclusive economic zones and in the high seas. The available information on the state of the fishery resources indicate that, in 2000, about 50% of marine fish stocks are close to their maximum biological production level (or maximum sustainable yield), about 25% are overfished, and about 25% could possibly sustain higher exploitation rates. However, those stocks being fished at their maximum level of production could rapidly become overfished if fishing pressure is not effectively controlled. Historical data indicate that the proportion of stocks being overfished has increased significantly since the early seventies, underlining the need for an improvement in fisheries governance. Additional stress on the fisheries production system is added by pollution and environmental degradation from non-fisheries developments, including land-based ones, with long-lasting and possibly irreversible consequences for fisheries.The contribution of aquaculture and coastal aquaculture is increasing rapidly, filling the gap between supply and demand of fishery products. This development meets with problems related inter alia to water use rights ; pollution; diseases; invasive species; and modification of wild genetic pools. An excellent review of the present global status of aquaculture is available courtesy of Dr. Albert G.J. Tacon of the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology. A very large PDF file (10 MB) with pictures and a smaller (2 MB) PDF file without pictures, but with complete graphics, are available. | | |  Careful and thoughtful improvement in the governance of fishing and aquaculture, and its integration with other sectors'management (e.g. in the coastal areas) could bring about greater reliability of supply, improved economic viability and the generation of increased benefits for fishers and for society as a whole. Failure to establish effective governance in fisheries and in coastal areas could result in a further deterioration in food security, particularly for the most vulnerable people in the developing world; increasing impoverishment of fishers; and destabilization of social structures in remote coastal areas. New forms of governance are being tested, including various forms of fishing rights as well as precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches. | | | | |
 | | | | | Fish farming boosts rural development and reduces poverty
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| | FAO convenes first ever Global Intergovernmental Meeting in Beijing to discuss aquaculture Beijing, 18 April 2002 - The role of aquaculture in fighting hunger and poverty and promoting rural development will be the main focus of an international meeting convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) opening in Beijing today. According to FAO, aquaculture can make an important contribution to poverty alleviation, food security and social well-being, and already does so in many developing countries. In others, however, the potential has not yet been fully realized. With an overall growth rate of 11 percent a year since 1984, aquaculture, including culture-based fisheries, has been the world's fastest growing food-producing sectors for nearly 20 years. In 1999, 42.77 million metric tons of aquatic products (including plants) valued at US$ 53.5 billion were produced, and more than 300 species of aquatic organisms are today farmed globally. Approximately 90% of the total aquaculture production is produced in developing countries, and a large proportion of this is produced by small-scale producers particularly in Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs). While export-oriented, industrial and commercial aquaculture practices bring much needed foreign exchange, revenue and employment to a country, more extensive and integrated forms of aquaculture do not only make a significant, grass-roots, contribution to improving livelihoods among the poorer sectors of society but also promote efficient use of resources and environmental conservation, according to a paper prepared by FAO for the first session of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture. Representatives from governments, inter-governmental organizations, UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations will participate in the meeting, which takes place at the Beijing International Convention Centre, Beijing, China, from 18-22 April. "The challenge for aquaculture is to help strengthen the assets available to rural households," says Mr Rohana Subasinghe, Secretary of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture and FAO's focal point for the meeting in Beijing. "Aquaculture provides food of high nutritional value for households, and when small-scale farmers combine agriculture and aquaculture they also improve their food supply, increase their income and become better able to withstand shocks. It decreases the risk to production, increases farm sustainability and in general boosts rural development". Aquaculture contributes almost a third of global fisheries production. FAO's latest studies on future demand for, and supply of, fish and fishery products predict a sizeable increase in demand. The majority of this increase will result from expected economic development, population growth and changes in eating habits. Fish supply from marine capture fisheries in most countries is expected to remain constant or even to decline, since catches have either reached or are close to the maximum sustainable yield. Hence, aquaculture and fisheries in inland waters will play a major role in increasing future supplies of fish and fishery products. Global growth in aquaculture is forecast to continue in the future. At the meeting in Beijing the participants are to discuss sustainable aquaculture development and the implementation of aquaculture-related provisions of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Addressing the recent public debate related to the negative environmental and social impact of aquaculture, Mr Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General, of FAO's Fisheries Department said at the opening of the meeting: "Historically, most aquaculture practices around the world have been pursued with significant social, economic and nutritional benefits, and with minimal environmental costs. However in certain parts of the world and in certain aquaculture sectors there have been some inadequately-planned and inappropriately managed form | |
Read more at http://www.fao.org/fi/Prodn.asp.
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| Serge Garcia
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1076 Topics - 5135 Related Knowledge - 2534 Members - 34 Editors |
