Fisheries production in OECD countries has declined by more than 39 per cent since 1988, the organisation has reported. Overfishing reduces the productive capacity of the resource, according to the OECD report.
Overfishing has reduced the capacity of the resource, leading to a 39 per cent decline in fisheries production, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has reported.
The OECD added that at the same time, 2014 marked the first year that aquaculture production became a bigger source of fish products for consumers than capture fisheries.
Aquaculture continues to grow at more than seven per cent per year. Asian economies are increasingly at the heart of fish production, consumption and trade, a trend that has been accelerating in recent years.
The OECD Review of Fisheries provides updated statistics and information on developments in policies and activities in the fishing and aquaculture sectors of OECD countries and partner economies.
The 2015 edition contains new chapters on China and Indonesia, which together account for nearly a quarter of global fish harvests.
Economic growth in China has been driving an increase in consumption of fisheries products. Per capita consumption in China’s cities rose from 10.34 kg in 2000 to 14.62 kg in 2011. China is now simultaneously the largest marine fisheries producer, the largest aquaculture producer and the largest net exporter of fish products.
“The solution to restarting growth in OECD fisheries is improved management,” commented Roger Martini, Senior Fisheries Analyst at the OECD, in the press release.
He added: “This is an area where countries have been making some progress, but much more remains to be done before all OECD fish stocks are fully recovered. The new Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union puts great emphasis on sustainability, and the United States has demonstrated that a strong, science-based approach can bring results.”
Fish products are the most highly traded of all food commodities, with more than 37 per cent of all fish produced crossing a border at some point, according to the OECD report.
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