Fishery can mean either the Big business of raising or Fishing fish and other aquatic life[Fletcher, WJ; Chesson, J; Fisher, M; Sainsbury KJ; Hundloe, T; Smith, ADM and Whitworth, B (2002) The "How To" guide for wild capture fisheries. National ESD reporting framework for Australian fisheries: FRDC Project 2000/145. Page 119–120.] or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place (, fishing grounds).
Because of their economic and social importance, fisheries are governed by complex fisheries management practices and fisheries law that vary widely across countries. Historically, fisheries were treated with a "first-come, first-served" approach, but recent threats from human overfishing and environmental issues have required increased regulation of fisheries to prevent conflict and increase profitable economic activity on the fishery. Modern jurisdiction over fisheries is often established by a mix of international treaties and local laws.
Declining fish populations, marine pollution, and the destruction of important coastal ecosystems have introduced increasing uncertainty in important fisheries worldwide, threatening economic security and food security in many parts of the world. These challenges are further complicated by the changes in the ocean caused by climate change, which may extend the range of some fisheries while dramatically reducing the sustainability of other fisheries.
Definitions
According to the
FAO, "...a fishery is an activity leading to harvesting of fish. It may involve capture of wild fish or raising of fish through aquaculture." It is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of
fishing, class of boats, purpose of the activities or a combination of the foregoing features".
The definition often includes a combination of mammal and fish Fisherman in a region, the latter fishing for similar species with similar gear types.[Madden, CJ and Grossman, DH (2004) A Framework for a Coastal/Marine Ecological Classification Standard . NatureServe, page 86. Prepared for NOAA under Contract EA-133C-03-SE-0275]
The term fish
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In biology – the term fish is most strictly used to describe any aquatic vertebrate that has throughout life, and can also refer to those that have limbs (if any) or in the shape of .
[Jr. Cleveland P Hickman, Larry S. Roberts, Allan L. Larson: Integrated Principles of Zoology, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co, 2001, ]
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In fisheries – the term fish is used as a collective term, and includes , and any that are harvested for economic value.
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True fish – The biological definition of a fish (mentioned above) is sometimes called a "true fish", the vast majority of which are . True fish are also referred to as finfish or fin fish to distinguish them from other invertebrate aquatic life harvested in fisheries or aquaculture.
Types
The
fishing industry which harvests fish from fisheries can be divided into three main sectors: commercial, recreational or
Artisan fishing. They can be
Seawater or freshwater,
Wild fisheries or
Fish farm. About 85 percent of total marine fisheries production was finfish, mainly anchoveta (4.9 million tonnes),
Alaska pollock (3.4 million tonnes) and
skipjack tuna (3.1 million tonnes).
Examples are the
salmon fishery of
Alaska, the
Atlantic cod fishery off the
Lofoten islands, the
tuna fishery of the
Pacific Ocean, or the
shrimp farm fisheries in China. Capture fisheries can be broadly classified as industrial scale, small-scale or artisanal, and recreational.
Close to 90% of the world's fishery catches come from oceans and seas, as opposed to inland waters. These marine catches have remained relatively stable since the mid-nineties (between 80 and 86 million tonnes).
Most fisheries are wild fisheries, but Fish farm are increasing. Farming can occur in coastal areas, such as with Oyster farming,[New Zealand Seafood Industry Council. Mussel Farming. ] or the aquaculture of salmon, but more typically fish farming occurs inland, in lakes, ponds, tanks and other enclosures.
There are commercial fisheries worldwide for finfish, , and , and by extension, such as kelp. However, a very small number of species support the majority of the world's fisheries. Some of these species are herring, cod, anchovy, tuna, flounder, mullet, squid, shrimp, salmon, crab, lobster, oyster and . All except these last four provided a worldwide catch of well over a million in 1999, with herring and together providing a harvest of over 22 million metric tons in 1999. Many other species are harvested in smaller numbers.
In 2022 small-scale fisheries contribute an estimated 40 percent of the global catch and support 90 percent of the capture fisheries workforce, with women representing 40 percent. 500 million people rely on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods, including 53 million involved in subsistence fishing, of which 45 percent are women.
In 2022 inland fisheries produced 11.3 million tonnes, harvested mainly in Asia (63.4 percent) and Africa (29.4 percent), where they are important for food security. Lead producers were India (1.9 million tonnes), Bangladesh (1.3 million tonnes), China (1.2 million tonnes), Myanmar (0.9 million tonnes) and Indonesia (0.5 million tonnes). Inland fisheries figures are likely underestimated due to the difficulties most countries face in collecting these data.
Economic importance
Directly or indirectly, the livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends on fisheries and
aquaculture.
Overfishing, including the taking of fish beyond sustainable levels, is reducing
Fish stocks and employment in many world regions.
[C. Michael Hogan (2010) Overfishing, Encyclopedia of earth, topic ed. Sidney Draggan, ed. in chief C. Cleveland, National Council on Science and the Environment (NCSE), Washington, DC][ Fisheries and Aquaculture in our Changing Climate Policy brief of the FAO for the UNFCCC COP-15 in Copenhagen, December 2009.] It was estimated in 2014 that global fisheries were adding US$270 billion a year to global
GDP, but by full implementation of sustainable fishing, that figure could rise by as much as US$50 billion.
In 2022 77% of the global workforce was in Asia, 16% in Africa and 5% in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In addition to commercial and subsistence fishing, recreational (sport) fishing is popular and economically important in many regions.
Production
Total fish production in 2016 reached an all-time high of 171 million tonnes, of which 88 percent was utilized for direct human consumption, thanks to relatively stable capture fisheries production, reduced wastage and continued aquaculture growth. This production resulted in a record-high per capita consumption of 20.3 kg in 2016.
Since 1961 the annual global growth in fish consumption has been twice as high as population growth. While annual growth of aquaculture has declined in recent years, significant double-digit growth is still recorded in some countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
FAO predicted in 2018 the following major trends for the period up to 2030:
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World fish production, consumption and trade are expected to increase, but with a growth rate that will slow over time.
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Despite reduced capture fisheries production in China, world capture fisheries production is projected to increase slightly through increased production in other areas if resources are properly managed. Expanding world aquaculture production, although growing more slowly than in the past, is anticipated to fill the supply–demand gap.
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Prices will all increase in nominal terms while declining in real terms, although remaining high.
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Food fish supply will increase in all regions, while per capita fish consumption is expected to decline in Africa, which raises concerns in terms of food security.
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Trade in fish and fish products is expected to increase more slowly than in the past decade, but the share of fish production that is exported is projected to remain stable.
Management
Global goals
International attention to these issues has been captured in Sustainable Development Goal 14 "Life Below Water" which sets goals for international policy focused on preserving coastal ecosystems and supporting more sustainable economic practices for coastal communities, including in their fishery and
aquaculture practices.
[United Nations (2017) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017, Work of the Statistical Commission pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ( A/RES/71/313)]
Law
Environmental issues
Climate change
See also
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Fisheries co-management
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Fisheries science
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National Fish Habitat Initiative
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Ocean fisheries
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Population dynamics of fisheries
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Regional Fisheries Management Organisation
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Sea Fish Industry Authority
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Tanka people
Free content sources
External links
