Medidas de Gestao das Pescarias Marinhas e Aquicultura 2019 The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 | Page 9

increasingly recognized as crucial for societal
success. In addition to reporting major trends and
patterns obser ved in global fisheries and
aquaculture, this edition scans the horizon for
new and upcoming areas that need to be
considered if we are to manage aquatic resources
sustainably into the future, including cooperation
through regional fisheries bodies and advances
such as blockchain technolog y, to ensure that in
delivering the SDGs we tackle the root causes of
povert y and hunger while building a fairer
societ y that leaves no one behind.
fish production in 2016 reached an all-time high
of 171 million tonnes, of which 88 percent was
utilized for direct human consumption, thanks to
relatively stable capture fisheries production,
reduced wastage and continued aquaculture
growth. This production resulted in a record-high
per capita consumption of 20.3 kg in 2016. Since
1961 the annual global growth in fish
consumption has been twice as high as
population growth, demonstrating that the
fisheries sector is crucial in meeting FAO’s goal
of a world without hunger and malnutrition.
While annual growth of aquaculture has declined
in recent years, significant double-digit growth is
still recorded in some countries, particularly in
Africa and Asia. The sector’s contribution to
economic growth and the fight against povert y is
growing. Strengthened demand and higher prices
increased the value of global fish exports in 2017
to USD 152 billion, 54 percent originating from
developing countries.
Previous editions have been accessed on the
Internet well over 1 500 times a day. I hope this
edition will have the same quantitative and
qualitative impact, making a valuable
contribution to help meet the challenges of the
twent y-first centur y.
The fisheries and aquaculture sector is not
without challenges, however, including the need
to reduce the percentage of fish stocks fished
beyond biological sustainabilit y, currently 33.1
percent; to ensure that biosecurit y and animal
disease challenges are tackled successfully; and
to maintain complete and accurate national
statistics in support of policy development and
implementation. These and other challenges
engendered FAO’s Blue Growth Initiative, an
innovative, integrated and multisectoral approach
to the management of aquatic resources aimed at
maximizing the ecosystem goods and ser vices
obtained from the use of oceans, inland waters
and wetlands, while also providing social and
economic benefits.
José Graziano da Silva
FAO Director-General
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture is the
only publication of its kind, providing technical
insight and factual information on a sector
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