Fish Consumption Hits Record High

According to a report from FAO, “State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture," global fish consumption has reached a record of about 17 kg per person on average, supplying over three billion people with at least 15 percent of their average animal protein intake. The report notes that the increase is due to the ever-growing production of aquaculture which is set to overtake capture fisheries as a source of food fish. The report also notes, however, that the status of global fish stocks has not improved. About 32 percent of world fish stocks are estimated to be overexploited, depleted or recovering and need to be urgently rebuilt, the report says.

"That there has been no improvement in the status of stocks is a matter of great concern," said senior FAO fisheries expert Richard Grainger, one of the report's editors. "The percentage of overexploitation needs to go down, although at least we seem to be reaching a plateau."

That said, 15 percent of the stock groups monitored by FAO were estimated to be underexploited (three percent) or moderately exploited (12 percent) and therefore able to produce more than their current catches, according to the report.

The report also examines the growing efforts to enforce against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and also notes increasing debate about a proposed global record of fishing vessels that would make it easier to police vessels engaged in illegal fishing activities.