Candidaturas

FAO Report: The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010
March 2, 2011
State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) is the flagship publication of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. This premier advocacy document is published every two years to provide policy-makers, civil society and those whose livelihoods depend on the sector a comprehensive, objective and global view ofcapture fisheries and aquaculture, including associated policy issues.
The report here: The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010
The current global economic crisis, food price volatility and increase in weather events constitute global challenges – including for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. However, the sector also provides opportunities to improve livelihood prospects, ensureresource sustainability and foster economic growth.
The fisheries and aquaculture sector is crucial to food security, poverty alleviation and general well-being. In 2008, the world consumed 115 million tonnes of fish, and demand is expected to rise. Fish and fishery products are a vital and affordable source of food and high-quality protein – in 2008 fish as food reached an all-time high ofnearly 17 kg per person, supplying over 3 billion people with at least 15 percent of their average animal protein intake.
Employment in fisheries and aquaculture has grown faster than the world’s population and employment in traditional agriculture. In 2008, almost 45 million people were directly engaged in the sector. Add to these the important secondary sectors such as handling and processing, andwomen represent half of those involved. Altogether, including the family dependants of these workers, fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of about 540 million people (8 percent of the world population).
Overall, global markets for fish and fishery products are expanding, representing a growing source of foreign currency earnings for many developing countries. In 2008, world exportsof fish and fishery products reached a record US$102 billion, up 9 percent on 2007. Despite a dip in 2009 (when food prices soared), data for 2010 indicate that fish trade is recovering – and the long-term forecast remains positive, with a growing share of fish production entering international markets.
The increasing demand for fish also highlights the need for the sustainable management ofaquatic resources. The generally increasing trend in the percentage of overexploited, depleted and recovering world marine stocks compared with the decreasing trend in those that are underexploited and moderately exploited gives cause for concern.
Fisheries management has moved towards sustainability policies, leading to wider acceptance of the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) – an integratedapproach for balancing societal objectives with the state of the fishery and its natural and human environment. Ensuring inclusion of the human dimension to the EAF can provide an effective vehicle to address the wide range of complexities that affect fisheries management.
In recent decades, the gap between the potential and actual economic benefits from marine fisheries has widened dramatically –costing the world economy an estimated US$50 billion per year in forgone resource rent. Ensuring that the world’s capture fishery resources make their full potential contribution to the global economy calls for major steps, including efforts to establish effective resource investment programmes and rebuild the resources themselves.
Inland fisheries, although often undervalued, are a corecomponent in the livelihoods of millions in both developing and developed countries. Some 61 million people are involved in the sector – over half of them women. Although 2008 produced a record 10 million tonnes of fish, substantial declines in inland fishery resources have been caused by irresponsible practices, habitat degradation, etc. Improved awareness and appropriate action are required in order...