The output of seafood (both freshwater and marine) from global fisheries stagnated at around 90 million tons a year in the 1990s and, despite heavy investment into technology and subsidies, fishermen are unable to catch more fish. This is simply because the resource is already fully exploited and additional fishing pressure simply reduces the future catch by targeting smaller and smaller fish.
Against this backdrop, the world’s human population has grown from 5,3 billion in 1990 to eight billion in 2022 (World Bank, 2024). Therefore, we require increased tonnages of fish.
The growing shortfall between the stagnant supply of wild fish and increasing demand for fish to eat (and to feed our farmed animals) is the impetus that is pushing the rapid global growth of the aquaculture industry. The graph on the opposite page demonstrates this. Fisheries output has been constrained since 1990, while aquaculture has grown sevenfold over the same period.
About half of the aquaculture output is fish, with the other half being a combination of molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. This rapid increase in fish farming has not been equally distributed across the globe, with Southeast Asia and selected other countries developing massive industries while other parts of the world languish far behind. China farms about 60% of the fish produced globally. Within Africa, Egypt produces more than 1,5 million tons of fish annually (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2024), which is roughly double the rest of the continents’ combined output.
INDUSTRY DOMINANCE
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Denne historien er fra August 23, 2024-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
