Fishing

Food acquired from Earth’s waters includes fish, crustaceans (such as shrimp and crabs), mollusks (such as clams and oysters), and aquatic plants (such as watercress). Water-based food is acquired in two ways:

1. Fishing is the capture of wild fish and other seafood living in the waters.

2. Aquaculture, or aquafarming, is the cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions.

Historically the sea has provided only a small percentage of the world food supply. So at first glance, increased use of food from the sea is attractive. Oceans are vast, covering nearly three-fourths of Earth’s surface and lying near most population concentrations. However, overfishing has reduced fish supplies in many regions.

The world’s oceans are divided into 16 major fishing regions, including six each in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, two in the Indian Ocean, and one each in the Mediterranean and Antarctic. Fishing is also conducted in inland waterways, such as lakes and rivers. The areas with the largest yields are the Pacific Northwest and Asia’s inland waterways. China is responsible for one-third of the world’s yield of fish.

Major Fishing Regions, 2016

Fish Production, 2015

Fish Consumption & Production

Human consumption of fish and seafood increased from 27 million metric tons in 1960 to 141 million metric tons in 2016. Developing countries are responsible for five-sixths of the increase .

Growth in Human Consumption of Fish

Fish consumption has increased more rapidly than population growth. During the past half-century, per capita consumption of fish has nearly doubled in both developed and developing countries. Still, fish and seafood account for only 1 percent of all calories consumed by humans.

During the past half-century, global fish production has increased from approximately 36 to 202 million metric tons. The growth has resulted entirely from expansion of aquaculture. The capture of wild fish in the oceans and lakes has stagnated since the 1990s, despite population growth and increased demand to consume fish.

Growth in Fish Production

Aquaculture

Harvesting carp from a fish farm pond, Jiangsu, China.

A comparison of Figures 9-39 and 9-40 shows that production of fish is considerably higher than human consumption of it. Around 85 percent of the fish is consumed directly by humans. The remainder is converted to fish meal and fed to poultry and hogs.

Overfishing

The population of some fish species in the oceans and lakes has declined because of overfishing, which is capturing fish faster than they can reproduce. Overfishing has been particularly acute in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Overfishing has reduced the population of tuna and swordfish by 90 percent in the past half-century, for example. The U.N. estimates that one-quarter of fish stocks have been overfished and one-half fully exploited, leaving only one-fourth underfished.

Pause & Reflect 9.3.5

The average resident in a developed country consumes around six ounces (170 grams) of fish per week. Why might your consumption be higher or lower than the average?