Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Summary: Fish are eaten more rapidly than they can reproduce. Two-thirds of the world’s fish stocks are either considered fully exploited or overexploited already [1]. Many of the marine species are near extinction with little or no hope of recovery [1]. Advertisement Overfishing Facts Fish provides proteins to almost 3 billion people. UN’s research estimates the average worldwide fish consumption to be around 20 Kilograms per person per year [2]. In terms of production capacity, China and other South Asian countries are the biggest exporters of fish and related products whereas the European market is the single largest buyer followed by US & Japan accounting for 64% of the total value of imports for fish and fish products [2]. However, the world’s oceans are running out of fish now. The graph below paints the grimness of the situation. Source: Living Blue Planet report 2015 – WWF Almost 30 % of the world’s fish stocks are considered over-exploited already and a further 61% of the fish stocks are fully exploited[1]. Global fish production in 2016 was around 171 million tonnes, of which only 90 million tonnes came from wild fishes[1]. Source: The state of world’s fisheries FA0 2018 Due to depleting fish stock in deep-sea waters, the bulk share of growth and production in the past few decades has been shifted to aquaculture i.e. farming fishes in closed cages. So, is that a reason to cheer? Not Really! Why? Keep reading. Advertisement Causes

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Causes of Overfishing The rise in fish consumption along with the use of fish products in different industries has led to an unprecedented increase in global fish demand. Per capita Fish Consumption In the past 50 years, the annual increase in fish consumption (3.2%) has outpaced the population growth (1.6%) as well as meat consumption growth (2.8%) [2]. During the same period, per capita fish consumption has doubled from 9.9 kg in the 1960s to around 20 kg today [2]. Fish oil, produced from processing small fishes or their by-products is used extensively in the production of Omega-3 supplements, the world’s most popular supplement and estimated to be a $57-billion industry by 2025 [11]. It is believed to reduce risk of heart diseases and strokes, however, recent research published by Cochrane Review with more than 100,000 participants suggests that’s possibly just a big bluff [8]. Apparently, there are quite a few fish oil pet supplements out there now. If the current rate of fish consumption continues, the UN has estimated that fish prices might increase 25% by 2030 [7]. Advertisement Rise of Aquaculture So, aquaculture has saved the day when it comes to catering for the increased demand for fish as most of the world’s ocean is running out of fish. However, there is a catch. Farmed fish need to be fed fish or related products i.e. Fishmeal or fish oil. UN has estimated that almost 70% of the fish raised in aquaculture are provided with feeds made from wild fish so that they can reach their market weight quickly and gain all the essential nutrients [9]. Numbers do vary significantly, but every year, millions of tonnes of wild fish are caught and processed as food for farmed raised species [2]. The Fish In:Fish Out ratio by IFFO is estimated to be around 1: 0.22. i.e. producing a tonne of farmed fish would take a quarter tonne of wild fish as food, but with few exceptions of course [10]. Seafood Watch claims that some of the most popular species like Salmon would need a pound of wild fish for every pound they gain. It gets even worse for Tuna, which might need 15 pounds of wild fish feed for every pound it gains[4]. Livestock Feed Livestock feed also plays an important role in the demand for fish. In 2016, almost 20 million tonnes of fish stocks were used as feed in the form of fishmeal or fish oil for poultry and pig’s production as well as for aquaculture feed [2]. Although the industry claims that most of the fishmeal and fish oil production is from by-products not fit for human consumption, new research suggests that probably not the case [9]. The report states that 90% of the raw material used in the process could be consumed by humans which means that fish are primarily caught for fishmeal production and which is a direct derivative for overfishing [9]. Advertisement Facts Consequences