The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012
reveals that the sector produced a record 128 million tonnes of fish for
human food - an average of 18.4 kg per person - providing more
than 4.3 billion people with about 15 percent of their animal protein
intake. Fisheries and aquaculture are also a source of income for
55 million people."Fisheries and aquaculture play a vital role in
the global, national and rural economy," said FAO Director-General José Graziano
da Silva. "The livelihoods of 12 percent of the world's population depend
directly or indirectly on them. Fisheries and aquaculture give an important
contribution to food security and nutrition. They are the primary source of
protein for 17 percent of the world's population and nearly a quarter in
low-income food-deficit countries."Árni M. Mathiesen, head of FAO's
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, said: "Fisheries and aquaculture are
making a vital contribution to global food security and economic growth.
However, the sector faces an array of problems, including poor governance, weak
fisheries management regimes, conflicts over the use of natural resources, the
persistent use of poor fishery and aquaculture practices. And it is further
undermined by a failure to incorporate the priorities and rights of small-scale
fishing communities and the injustices relating to gender discrimination and
child labour."Boosting governanceFAO is urging
governments to make every effort to ensure sustainable fisheries around the
world. The report notes that many of the marine fish stocks monitored by FAO
remain under great pressure.
