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Fish and seafood are among the most traded food products in the world. Around 3.3 billion people now meet part of their protein intake by eating fish.
Increasingly, the fish on our plates comes from aquaculture. However, according to official figures, 79.7 million tonnes of fish were still caught in the oceans in 2022(1). Including the many illegal catches and discarded bycatch, the total catch amounts to more than 100 million tonnes of fish per year.
Fish is a lifeline for millions of people, providing both food and income. While many small and medium-sized fishing businesses in industrialised nations have had to cease operations, fishing remains an important source of income for local populations in many developing and emerging countries. According to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), up to 820 million people are directly or indirectly dependent on fishing. It is estimated that there are around 54 million fishers worldwide (87 per cent of them in Asia), while the remainder includes the families of fishers, suppliers, and their families(2).
Research on structural change in fisheries
The number of fishing businesses in Germany has been declining for years. The reasons for this are varied. Fish stocks are falling dramatically, and catch quotas are correspondingly low. Added to this is increasing competition at sea among fishing, energy production, shipping, sand and gravel extraction, and various other uses.
Artisanal fishing is at risk in the long term if the coastal fishing fleet continues to shrink drastically. This could lead not only to job losses in fishing itself but also among fish supply and processing businesses. Additionally, regional access to fresh fish is under threat.
The Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries is researching this structural change. Its goal is to identify ways to reshape coastal fishing so that it can continue to fulfil its cultural, social, and economic roles along the coast and ensure the sustainable use of marine fish and seafood in the future.
For more information, visit https://www.thuenen.de/de/institutsuebergreifende-projekte/strukturwandel-in-der-kuestenfischerei
Fish from aquaculture
Global fish stocks are under significant pressure and are largely overfished. Meanwhile, the world's population is growing, as is the demand for fish. In many places, a relatively new approach is being taken: fish are bred in aquaculture. In the 1970s, aquaculture was still fairly insignificant, but today it provides nearly as much fish as wild fisheries.
Aquaculture is distributed unevenly across the world, with China and Norway leading in this sector. However, aquaculture is considered problematic for various reasons. For example:
- Nutrients and waste from intensively managed fish farms contribute to the overfertilisation of the seas.
- High-density fish farming promotes the spread of diseases among the fish.
- Antibiotics and other medications are used to combat diseases, which subsequently enter the sea.
- Natural coastal ecosystems are destroyed to make way for aquaculture.
The need for sustainable fisheries management
In light of current challenges, fisheries experts are working on concepts for sustainable fishing and aquaculture. One key focus is combating illegal fishing, where the combination of vessel and satellite data has already led to significant successes. In fisheries management, specialists are prioritising ecosystem-based solutions that integrate knowledge about the status of local fish stocks, as well as the needs of fishers and coastal communities. Additionally, the aim is to involve all stakeholders in decision-making.
In aquaculture, the goal is to minimise the harmful environmental impacts of intensive farming. To this end, closed-loop systems are being developed, plant-based feed options are being tested for suitability, and integrated systems that combine fish, plants, and filter feeders in one facility are being designed, allowing nutrients to be directly reused. However, it will take time for these concepts to become widely adopted in the production of fish and seafood. Nonetheless, the major global crises cannot be effectively addressed without sustainable fisheries management and environmentally friendly production in aquaculture.
References
- (1) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024: "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 – Blue Transformation in action", Rome. doi.org/10.4060/cd0683en
