FAO'S COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES OPENS TODAY

FAO'S COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES OPENS TODAY

Half of World Marine Stocks Fully Exploited

(Reissued as received.)

ROME, 24 February (FAO) -- Delegates from over 100 countries, observers from the United Nations, UN bodies and specialized agencies, regional fishery bodies, and other international organizations, attend the twenty-fifth session of the Committee on Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which opens today.

The agenda of the session (24-28 February 2003) includes:

-- A report on the implementation of the Code of Conduct for responsible fisheries and related international plans of action;

-- Fishing trade and subsidies in the fishing industries;

-- Ecosystem approaches to fisheries management;

-- Strategies for increasing the sustainable contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and poverty alleviation; and

-- A discussion on how to make monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing vessels more effective.

During the session, the will present its report, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002 (SOFIA), which provides latest facts and figures on the world's fisheries situation.

According to the report, aquaculture is growing more rapidly than all other animal food-producing sectors; its contribution to global supplies of fish, crustaceans and molluscs increased from 3.9 per cent of total production by weight in 1970 to 27.3 per cent in 2000, and reached 29 per cent in 2001.

"Aquaculture production, including aquatic plants, reached 45.7 million tonnes by weight and $56.5 billion by value in 2000", according to SOFIA.  "China remains by far the largest producer with 71 per cent of the total volume and

49.8 per cent of the total value of aquaculture production."  Global aquaculture production for 2001 showed a further increase to 48.2 million tonnes with a value of $60.9 billion.

Worldwide, aquaculture has increased at an average compounded rate of

9.2 per cent per year since 1970, compared with only 1.4 per cent for capture fisheries and 2.8 per cent for terrestrial farmed meat production systems, according to the report.

Capture fisheries, including marine and inland water production, decreased in 2001 compared to 2000 from 94.8 to about 92 million tons; however, all major fluctuations in capture production in recent years are due to variations in catches of Peruvian anchoveta which are environmentally driven (i.e., El Niño), as global capture production with the exclusion of anchoveta catches has been fairly stable since 1995.

Regarding the global situation of the main marine fish stocks, the report warns that nearly half of world marine stocks offer no reasonable expectations for further expansion.  "About 47 per cent of the main stocks or species groups are fully exploited and are, therefore, producing catches that have reached, or are very close to, their maximum sustainable limits", the report says.

The report also warns against overfishing on the high seas.  Although it is difficult to assess the situation on the high seas, because reports to the FAO of marine catches make no distinction between those taken within the exclusive economic zones and those taken on the high seas, the report reveals that catches of oceanic species, particularly the oceanic tunas, almost tripled from 3 million tonnes in 1976 to 8.5 million tonnes in 2000.

World Trade

According to FAO' report, total world trade of fish and fishery products increased to an export value of $55.2 billion in 2000.  Thailand continued to be the main exporting country, with $4.4 billion.  China experienced a sharp increase in its export performance to reach $3.6 billion in 2000 and is now the second largest exporter.  Norway lost its second rank due to lower salmon prices and euro fluctuations -- the currency of the main trading area for Norwegian fish.

Fish imports reached a record of $60 billion in 2000.  Developed countries accounted for more than 80 per cent of the value of the total fishery product imports.  Japan was again the largest importer of fishery products, accounting for some 26 per cent of the world total.

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture is available from FAO sales agents worldwide or directly from:

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For further information, please call:  Pierre Antonios, FAO Information Officer, tel: 0039 (06) 570 53473, e-mail:  pierre.antonios@fao.org