Overview of the Fishing and Aquaculture Sector

The fishing and aquaculture sector is one of the world’s fastest growing sectors. In 2012, global per capita fish consumption was approximately 19.2 kg per person, up from 9.9 kg per person in 1960.1 The FAO estimates that fishing and aquaculture provide livelihood for 10-12 percent of the world’s population. Over 58 million people are involved in fishing and aquaculture, approximately 37 million of whom are engaged full-time. Over 84 percent of those involved in the fish sector are in Asia, with an additional ten percent in Africa. Although the majority of workers in the direct-capture fish sector are men, the sector also provides livelihood for women, who represent an estimated 15 percent of all workers engaged in fishing and aquaculture, and up to 90 percent of workers in secondary activities such as processing.2 Fish is a highly traded commodity, with about 200 countries exporting fish and fishery products. Fish and fish products are particularly important for many developing nations, where the fish trade accounts for more than half of the total value of traded commodities. Developing economies saw their share rise to 54 percent of total fishery exports by value in 2012.3 In addition to trade, fishing and aquaculture are important to many rural poor. Fish provides a key protein source in diets as well as providing jobs and income in areas where other income sources are scarce.4 With the expansion of the fish sector has come an increase in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) exploitation of wild fish stocks. IUU fishing refers to all activities that happen outside the control of laws and regulations, including activities such as fishing without a license, fishing in a closed area, fishing with prohibited gear, fishing in excess of a quota, and fishing of prohibited species. Fishing regulations can be challenging to enforce, as much of the IUU fishing happens on the high seas – that is, in water over 200 nautical miles from shore, where there is little regulation and enforcement. Outside of a nation’s “exclusive economic zone” (the 200 mile strip of ocean adjacent to the shoreline), vessels are generally governed by the laws of the country in which they are registered, or their “flag state.” Under the practice known as “flags of convenience,” fishing vessels may be registered in countries with no meaningful link to their operations, including in countries with severely limited interest or capacity to enforce fishing-related laws on vessels flying their flag.5 This structural loop-hole built into the regulation and enforcement of fishing practices has led to increased environmental and social abuses in the sector, as the prevalence of IUU fishing has contributed to sharply declining world fish stocks through overfishing, leading vessels to undertake longer and longer voyages in order to find fish, and thereby increasing the vulnerability of workers who are stuck aboard for longer and longer periods of time. Declining stocks also increase the precariousness of employment for workers involved in fish processing, by threatening the overall viability of the industry. 1 Food and Agriculture Organization of the