Aquatic food systems are very diverse and offer a variety of environmental, economic and social benefits and services. They are increasingly recognized – at the global level and in many countries and communities – for their nutritional value and ecosystem services that contribute to sustaining healthy diets and aquatic biodiversity. More than ever before, they represent viable solutions and offer opportunities to improve global food security and nutrition, enhance livelihoods and preserve the environment.

Consolidation of the role of aquatic food systems requires the acceleration of transformative changes to achieve sustainable and equitable global fisheries and aquaculture. In 2021, FAO adopted Blue transformation as Programme Priority Area BP2,^b aimed at maximizing the opportunities presented by aquatic food systems to enhance food security, improve nutrition, eradicate poverty and support the achievements of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. FAO developed the FAO Blue Transformation Roadmap to clarify concepts and offer guidance on its objectives and priority actions. 

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 presents the status of global fisheries and aquaculture, showcasing how, through “Blue Transformation in action”, FAO, in coordination with Members and partners, promotes collaborative efforts and implements initiatives to support sustainable aquaculture intensification and expansion, effective management of global fisheries, and upgrading of aquatic food value chains. Following improvements in data collection and advancements in analytical and assessment tools and methodologies (Box 1), the data on the state of world fisheries and aquaculture production and utilization have been revised and expanded.

In 2022, the global production of aquatic animals reached a new world high of 185 million tonnes (live weight equivalent), an increase of 4 percent from 2020. Farming of aquatic animals produced an estimated 94 million tonnes, representing 51 percent of the total, surpassing for the first time capture fisheries, which produced 91 million tonnes (49 percent). Production from marine areas was 115 million tonnes (62 percent of the total), of which 69 percent was from capture fisheries and 31 percent from aquaculture. Inland waters contributed 70 million tonnes (38 percent of the total), of which 84 percent was from aquaculture and 16 percent from capture fisheries (Table 1 and Figure 1). The world fishing fleet continued to decrease from the 2019 peak of 5.3 million vessels to an estimated 4.9 million vessels in 2022, of which two-thirds were motorized.

The first sale value of the 2022 global production of aquatic animals was estimated at USD 452 billion, comprising USD 157 billion for capture fisheries and USD 296 billion for aquaculture. Of the total 185 million tonnes of aquatic animals produced in 2022 (Figure 2), about 164.6 million tonnes (89 percent) were destined for human consumption, equivalent to an estimated 20.7 kg per capita. The remaining 20.8 million tonnes were destined for non-food uses, to produce mainly fishmeal of fisheries and aquaculture and their vital Overall, in 2022, the share of estimated data was contribution to national development. This can 16 percent for production, 6 percent (compared obscure the visibility of aquatic food systems leading to the usual 2 percent) for trade, 48 percent for to their marginalization in national, regional or global employment and 44 percent for fleet. While these policy and decision-making processes addressing percentages may vary from year to year, data resource allocation and international development. collection on employment and fishing vessels
These issues were discussed in a series of presents a major challenge for many countries. meetings organized by FAO in 2022, involving The FishStat data collected and disseminated about 500 people representing 120 national focal by FAO since 1950 reflect the evolution of fisheries points for the provision of fisheries and aquaculture and aquaculture statistics collection, with significant statistics to FAO. A key outcome was a call for the variations in the quality of the data received.
urgent development of a new global strategy for The granularity of the data – for example, the level fisheries and aquaculture statistics.* In addition, of detail by species – is critical for monitoring the the meetings highlighted the need to support the exploitation of fishery resources and their economics development of national statistical strategies, along value chains. On the one hand, the granularity strengthen institutional and technical capacities, of the FAO production statistics has improved and improve statistical systems to better design, significantly – from 660 species items in the early monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of policies, 1950s to about 3 600 species items in 2022 (with interventions and programmes. In this dataset and 730 for aquaculture); on the other, a significant share of production – 20 percent in 2022 (compared with 24 percent in the 1990s) – is still not reported at species level, but in broader groups, at family or higher taxonomic levels. The table shows that data reported under broader groups accounted for 6 percent of the total production in high-income countries in 2022, compared with 52 percent in low-income countries. The revised FAO Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics Yearbook** presents in tables T.8 and T.9 a detailed analysis of the evolution of these trends. Similar trends are encountered in trade statistics: granularity has improved over time (from about 32 percent of trade data reported by major species group in the 1970s to about 15 percent in 2022), but there is still much room for improvement.