State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2004 - Library

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The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2004
showing signs of overexploitation. In Lake Victoria, for example, the Nile perch fishery
decreased from a record catch of 371 526 tonnes in 1990 to 241 130 tonnes in 2002.
Sturgeon fisheries in the countries surrounding the Caspian Sea have also decreased,
from approximately 20 000 tonnes in 1988 to less than 1 400 tonnes in 2002, owing to
a combination of illegal fishing, overfishing and habitat degradation. Inland fishes in
general have been characterized as the most threatened group of vertebrates used by
humans. 17
Nevertheless, the status of some inland fishery resources has been enhanced in
many areas through stocking programmes, the introduction of alien species, habitat
engineering and habitat improvement. In many developing areas, especially in Asia,
rice fields and irrigated areas are enhanced to increase the production of aquatic
biodiversity other than rice, and to improve the nutritional status of rural households. 18
Enhancement can make the resources more stable, easily harvested and valuable.
FISH UTILIZATION
In 2002, about 76 percent (100.7 million tonnes) of estimated world fish production
was used for direct human consumption (Table 1, p. 3). The remaining 24 percent
(32 million tonnes) was destined for non-food products, in particular the manufacture
of fishmeal and oil. If China is excluded, the shares are 74 percent (65.5 million
tonnes) and 26 percent (23 million tonnes), respectively (Table 2, p. 4 and Figure 2,
p. 5). More than 79 percent (35 million tonnes) of China’s reported fish production
(44 million tonnes) was apparently used for direct human consumption, the bulk
of which was in fresh form (75.5 percent). The remaining amount (an estimated
9.1 million tonnes) was reduced to fishmeal and other non-food uses, including direct
feed for aquaculture.
In 2002, 70 percent (62 million tonnes) of the world’s fish production, excluding
China, underwent some form of processing. Sixty-three percent (39 million tonnes) of
this processed fish was used for manufacturing products for direct human consumption
and the rest for non-food uses. The many options for processing fish allow for a
wide range of tastes and presentations, making fish one of the most versatile food
commodities. Yet, unlike many other food products, processing does not generally
increase the price of the final product and fresh fish is still the most widely accepted
product on the market. During the 1990s, the proportion of fish marketed in live/
fresh form worldwide increased compared with other products (Figures 21 and 22).
Excluding China, live/fresh fish quantity increased from an estimated 17 million tonnes
in 1992 to 26 million tonnes in 2002, representing an increase in its share in total
production from 20 percent to 30 percent. Processed fish for human consumption
(frozen, cured and canned) remained relatively stable at around 39 million tonnes.
Freezing represents the main method of processing fish for food use, accounting
for 53 percent of total processed fish for human consumption in 2002, followed by
canning (27 percent) and curing (20 percent). In developed countries, the proportion
of fish that is frozen has been constantly increasing, and it accounted for 42 percent
of production in 2002. By comparison, the share of frozen products was 13 percent of
total production in developing countries, where fish is largely marketed in fresh/
chilled form.
Utilization of fish production shows marked continental, regional and national
differences. The proportion of cured fish is higher in Africa (16 percent in 2002) and
Asia (11 percent) compared with other continents. In 2002, in Europe and North
America, more than two-thirds of fish used for human consumption was in frozen and
17
M.N. Bruton. 1995. Have fishes had their chips? The dilemma of threatened fishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 43: 1–27.
18
M. Halwart. 2003. Traditional use of aquatic biodiversity in rice-based ecosystems. FAO Aquaculture Newsletter, 29: 9–15.