More Aquatic Animals Were Farmed Than Fished in 2022: UN

The total global volume of fish, shrimp, clams, and other aquatic animals harvested by farming has topped the amount fished in the wild from the world’s waters for the first time ever, the United Nations (UN) said, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The total amount of aquatic animals captured in the wild fell from 91.6 MT in 2021 to 91 MT the following year.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in its latest report on fisheries and aquaculture — or farming in water — states that the global catch and harvest brought in more than 185 million tons (MT) of aquatic animals in 2022, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Experts say this milestone in human history was expected, as hauls from fisheries have largely stagnated over the last three decades due to natural limits.

Manuel Barange, head of FAO’s fisheries and aquaculture division, said aquaculture has benefited from a recognition of the nutritional benefits — like Omega 3 and other micronutrients found in food from aquatic animals — and its lesser environmental impact compared to food derived from land animals.

The total amount of aquatic animals captured in the wild fell from 91.6 MT in 2021 to 91 MT the following year, FAO said in its latest State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture report.

Global production rose to 94.4 MT in 2022, up from 91.1 MT a year earlier, it said. Asia was the source of more than 90% of all aquaculture production, FAO added.

Some 90% of aquatic animals that are farmed or fished go to human consumption, with the remainder going to other uses like feed for other animals or fish oils.