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Friday, May 09, 2003
Asia leads in fish production
By Henrylito D. Tacio
ROME -- Asia continues to lead in the global volume of fish production, according to the most recent data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Total world fish production (capture plus aquaculture) in 2001 is estimated at 129.3 million tons, slightly below the previous year's production of 130.4 million tons.
Aquaculture production continued to expand in 2001, reaching 37.4 million tons, or 29 percent of total fisheries production, compared to a share of just 15 percent in 1990.
China has been listed the world's top producer of fish with some 42.6 million tons in 2001. India was third with 5.7 million tons in the same year. Second place went to Peru, with 8 million tons, still very low compared to its previous record of 10.6 million tons.
Other major fishing nations in Asia were Japan (5.4 million tons), Indonesia (5.1 million tons), and Thailand (3.6 million tons).
The other top fish producers were the United States (5.4 million tons), Chile (4.3 million tons), Russian Federation (3.7 million tons), and Norway (3.2 million tons).
Total world imports of fish products declined slightly in 2001 in value terms to US$59,300 million, notes FAO's food outlook.
As usual, developed countries accounted for more than 80 percent of the total. Japan was again the biggest importer of fishery products, accounting for some 22 percent of the global total, though a substantial decline from the 30 percent share that the country used to have.
"Japan's imports of fish and fishery products have declined due to the continuous economic recession," the FAO data notes.
The European Union - particularly Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and United Kingdom - further increased its dependency on imports for its fish supply.
"The share of EU in the value of world imports increased to 35 percent," the report informs.
The United States, besides being the world's fourth major exporting country, was the second biggest importer of fish products in 2001 with value of US$10,200 million.
Thailand and China are the world's major exporters of fish products in value terms, with US$4,000 million each. China has impressively expanded its performance as a fish exporter in recent years and is likely to have overtaken Thailand as major fish exporter in 2002.
The FAO report singled out shrimp as the world's most important fish commodity, accounting for about 19 percent of international trade in value terms. The EU, Japan and the United States are the world's major importers of shrimp. Their combined imports is stable at 950,000 tons annually.
After two years of extremely low prices in 1999 and 2000, the tuna market stabilized in 2001 and continues to remain stable in 2002. After the fishing bans enforced by the private tuna industry, prices continue to remain steady at a level, which is considered economically viable by producers and processors.
Fish is considered the "poor man's meat." In most developing countries, it is the primary source of protein, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Fish supplies 30 per cent of total animal protein in diets in Asia, 20 percent in Africa, 10 percent in Latin America, 7 percent in North America, and 10 percent in Western Europe.
(May 9, 2003 issue)
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