Fish Facts
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization
March 2005
52% of fish stocks are fully exploited, which means that they are being fished at their maximum biological capacity. 24% are over exploited, depleted or recovering from depletion. 21% are moderately exploited.
Only 3% of the world's fish stocks are underexploited.
Human consumption of fish increased to 100.7 million tonnes in 2002, up from 93.6 million tonnes in 1998.
The diets of 2.6 billion people depend on fish as a source of animal protein.
200 million people world-wide earn all or part of their income thanks to fishing and related activities.
Source: World Resources Institute
The global fish catch for 2000 was valued at US$81 billion, and the international fish trade was worth US$55 billion.
Over the last thirty years, demand for seafood products has doubled and is anticipated to grow at 1.5 percent per year through 2020.
In 1992, some 30,000 Canadians were suddenly without work when once plentiful stocks of cod off the coast of Newfoundland completely collapsed.
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