Page 16 - Vol.36-No.6 issue

FISHERIES

SEAFOOD CONSUMERS’ DILEMMA:

THE CHOICE BETWEEN WILD OR FARMED

2. AVAILABILITY OF SEAFOOD
According to FAO latest published
By Izzat H. Feidi fisheries statistics beginning 1950 to the
Fisheries & Aquaculture latest published data in 2018, wild sea-
Development Consultant food from marine, brackish and fresh
water species and from aquaculture
1. INTRODUCTION which mainly include major species
from similar environments ranged from
Throughout written human history, a total of 16.4 million tonnes of which 303
until a few decades ago, seafood con- thousand tonnes of aquaculture in 1950 to increase to 10 billion by 2050, pro-
sumers had a sweeping appetite for (1.8% of total) to 186.6 million tonnes of viding future generations with safe and
eating various varieties of fish species which 96.1million tonnes from aquacul- sustainable farmed seafood is one of the
and other seafood delicacies. These ture (51.5% of total). (See Table 1, and critical challenges researches face. It is
seafood products were harvested from Figures 1). These statistics indicate the felt that the best solution to the prob-
wild marine, brackish and fresh water rapid speed in the increase from aqua- lem of declining fisheries is to rebuild
resources with no questions asked as culture production from 1.6% in 1950 of overexploited stocks and ecosystems
to their sources and availability of sup- total global production to 51.5% produc- through relieving fishing pressure, im-
plies, their safety and nutritious values, tion in 2018, more than half of wild sea- proving gear selectivity, limiting effects
prices of the various species on sale. food landings. It is also reported that of illegal, unreported and unregulated
However, in the last two decades or so a two thirds of the world’s fish stocks are fishing, reducing indiscriminate fishing
trend started to appear that wild stocks either fished at their limits or overfished operations, and further other fishing ex-
from marine, brackish and fresh water and large portion of the fish population ploitation patters to prevent stocks from
resources due to various reasons were is fully used, overused or in crises. Con- declining, protect their habitat and make
declining. With a growing world popu- sequently, as wild stocks were on the a wise and generous use of protected
lation and the fact that a rise in demand decline, aquaculture grew more rapid- areas and no-fishing zones. The rapid
for consuming seafood a need to start ly than all other animal food producing expansion of aquaculture has contrib-
finding alternative sources to boost the sectors. Aquaculture is practiced by uted to increased food security across
dwindling wild deliveries seafood in some of the poorest farmers in develop- the globe, however, issues related to
order to meet the demand. Aquaculture, ing countries as well as by multinational domestication of desired species and
fish farming or fish rearing started to be- companies with substantial investments. emergence of diseases, limit its further
come an important alternative to expand development.
from experimental and largely obscure 3. GLOBAL SEAFOOD
activities in several parts of the world to CONSUMPTION
become a major industry in many coun-
tries around the world. Aquaculture pre- In general, as a phenomena expansion
sented to be a solution to the challenges in seafood consumption, wild or farmed,
of feeding a growing global population. has been driven not only by increased
Aquaculture is the tool to fill in the gap production, but also by a combination of
of seafood supply. Farming fish respon- many other factors, including reduced
sibly and sustainably proved to be the wastage, better utilization, improved dis-
solution to providing future generations tribution channels and growing demand,
with access to healthy and environmen- In the meantime, in the latest issue of linked with population growth, rising
tally friendly protein options. This article FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aq- incomes and urbanization. A growing
intends to respond to questions asked by uaculture published in 2020 it is point- share of fish production is expected to
seafood consumers’ as to which is better, ed out that the world population is set be destined for human consumption.
cheaper, safer and more nutritious sea-
food species. In other words this article Table 1: Global Seafood Landings from all Sources:
addresses consumer’s seafood dilemma: 1950-2018 (‘1000 Tonnes)
The choice between wild or farmed.
Seafood 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2018
Sources
Wild 16,101 29,753 53,537 54,750 79,728 86,285 81,097 90,574
Aquaculture 303 1,393 2,559 5,786 13,627 33,100 63,398 96,052
Total 16,404 31,146 56,096 60,536 93,355 119,385 144,495 186,626

Percent- 1.8% 4.5% 4.6% 9.6% 14.6% 27.7% 43.9% 51.5%
Aquaculture
Source: FAO Fisheries Statistics-2020
14 Vol. 36 No. 6