Medidas de Gestao das Pescarias Marinhas e Aquicultura 2019 The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 | Page 85

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2018 » 2017, fishmeal and fish oil prices followed a Fish and fish products have a crucial role in nutrition and global food securit y, as they represent a valuable source of nutrients and micronutrients of fundamental importance for diversified and healthy diets (see “Fish for food securit y and human nutrition” in Part 2). Public awareness of these health benefits has been growing in recent years, amid a broader trend of increasing health consciousness among consumers, particularly in middle-income and developed markets. In lower-income countries, the importance of fish as a food group is enhanced by the fact that fish contains many of the vitamins and minerals required to address some of the most severe and widespread nutritional deficiencies. For pregnant women and ver y young children in particular, fish can be an essential component of a nutritious diet, as it contributes to neurodevelopment during the most crucial stages of an unborn or young child’s growth. In addition, there is evidence of beneficial effects of fish consumption in mental health and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and age-related macular degeneration. In low-income populations that depend heavily on a narrow range of calorie-dense staple foods, fish can represent a much-needed means of nutritional diversification that is relatively cheap and locally available. While average per capita fish consumption may be low, even small quantities of fish can provide essential amino acids, fats and micronutrients, such as iron, iodine, vitamin D and calcium, which are often lacking in vegetable-based diets. Experts agree that the positive effects of high fish consumption largely outweigh the potential negative effects associated with contamination or other safet y risks (FAO and W HO, 2011). downward trend (Figures 27 and 28) owing to the normalization of climatic conditions in South America following El Niño as well as good catches in European small pelagic fisheries supplying raw material, but they later rebounded. Because of the steady and growing demand, long- term fishmeal and fish oil prices are expected to increase again. In the past two years Peru continued to be the leading world producer and exporter of fishmeal and fish oil. China has consistently been the main consumption market for fishmeal and Norway for fish oil, primarily for their impressive aquaculture industries. n FISH CONSUMPTION The significant growth in fisheries and aquaculture production since the middle of the twentieth century, and especially in the past two decades, has enhanced the world’s capacity to consume diverse and nutritious food. Since 1961, the average annual increase in global apparent food fish consumption 8 (3.2 percent) has outpaced population growth (1.6 percent) and exceeded consumption of meat from all terrestrial animals, combined (2.8 percent) and individually (bovine, ovine, pig, other), except poultry (4.9 percent). In per capita terms, food fish consumption has grown from 9.0 kg in 1961 to 20.2 kg in 2015, at an average rate of about 1.5 percent per year. Preliminary estimates for 2016 and 2017 point to further growth to about 20.3 and 20.5 kg, respectively. The expansion in consumption has been driven not only by increased production, but also by a combination of many other factors, including reduced wastage, better utilization, improved distribution channels and growing demand, linked with population growth, rising incomes and urbanization. Globally, fish and fish products provide an average of only about 34 calories per capita per day. However, their daily contribution can exceed 130 calories per capita in countries where alternative protein foods are lacking and where a preference for fish has developed and endured (e.g. Iceland, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea and several small island States). More than as an energ y source, the dietar y contribution of fish is significant in terms of high-qualit y, easily digested animal proteins. A portion of 150 g of fish provides about 50 to 60 percent of an adult ’s daily protein requirement. Fish proteins are 8  All consumption statistics reported in this section refer to apparent consumption derived from FAO Food Balance Sheets as per March 2018 (FAO, 2018d). Consumption data for 2015 should be considered preliminary. The Food Balance Sheets refer to “average food available for consumption” (or apparent consumption), which, for a number of reasons (e.g. waste and losses), is likely to be higher than average food intake or average actual food consumption. Apparent consumption is calculated as production (capture fisheries and aquaculture) minus non- food uses (including amount used for reduction into fishmeal and fish oil), minus fish exports, plus fish imports, plus or minus stocks. All calculations are expressed in live weight equivalent. Records of production from subsistence and recreational fisheries, as well as cross- border trade between some developing countries, may be incomplete, which may lead to underestimation of consumption. | 69 |