2. SEAFOOD PRODUCTION, CONSUMPTION AND TRADE

Estimates in the early 1970s predicted the potential for traditionally exploited marine species was about 100 million tonnes per year (FAO 1997a). Despite development of non-traditional species, marine fishery production by 1994 reached only 90 million tonnes with capture fisheries accounting for 84 million tonnes. In 1994, the world's 200 major fishery resources accounted for 77 percent of marine fish production. About 35 percent of these resources are showing declining yields, about 25 percent are leveled at high exploitation rates, 40 percent are still developing and none remain at an undeveloped level (FAO 1997b). Thus, about 60 percent of the world's major fisheries resources are mature or declining, and there is a need to establish more effective management controls, reduce overall fishing effort and rebuild overfished stocks. In a few remaining areas of the world, it is possible to increase effort and landings. FAO estimates indicate that an increase of 10 million tonnes to a world total production of 93 million tonnes is possible only through management improvements and further fishery development of the capture sector (FAO 1997b). Another prediction indicates an additional 20 million tonnes is possible, but only if degraded resources are rehabilitated, under-developed resources are exploited further, overfishing is avoided in these as well as in those resources currently fully exploited, and discarding and waste are reduced (FAO 1997a). This creates important implications regarding the world's supply of food, since about 70 percent of the world catch of fish and fishery products is consumed as food.

On a worldwide basis, the total food supply of fish and fishery products was 74 million metric tonnes (live weight of fish) in 1993. This is the largest amount recorded, and represents an amount almost 2.5 times greater than in the early 1960s. Food fish and fishery product supply on a per capita basis was 13.4 kilograms (live weight of fish) in 1993. The 1991-1993 average was 13.0 kilograms, compared to the 1961-1963 average of 9.2 kilograms. Increases since the early 1960s have been steady and gradual, with the principal growth in demand for fish as food coming through population increases. For low-income food-deficit countries, per capita supply was 9.6 kilograms in 1993. The 1991-93 average of 9.0 kilograms per capita was slightly double the 1961-1963 average of 4.3 kilograms per capita. On a relative basis, fish and fishery products has become a more important food product for low-income food-deficit countries. Fish represent 20.6 percent of all animal proteins and 4.7 percent of all proteins consumed per capita in low-income food-deficit countries. Fish and fishery products represent 15.6 percent of animal protein supply and about 5.6 percent of total protein supply on a worldwide basis. This percentage has been stable over the last 33 years, ranging from a low of 13.8 percent to a high of 16.0 percent (FAO 1996).

International trade in fish and fishery products has grown substantially over the last three decades. The value of fish entering the world export market has increased over twenty times from the 1968 value of US$2.2 billion to the 1993-1995 average annual value of US$46.95 billion (Table 1). Adjusting for inflation to measure the increase in real value terms, the 1993-1995 value is still five times greater that the 1968 value³. Today, more than 30 percent of the fish caught for direct human consumption enters international trade. Developing countries account for almost 50 percent of global fish exports (Karnicki 1997). The share of exports from developing countries reached an all-time high of 51 percent with their net receipts from foreign exchange increasing from US$10.4 billion in 1990 to US$18.0 billion in 1995 (Lem and Shehadeh 1997). Sixteen different countries averaged exports over US$1.0 billion annually from 1991 to 1993. These 16 countries accounted for 66 percent of world exports with 50 countries exporting 96 percent of the world total. Thailand was the leading exporter at US$4.0 billion. The others were as follows (all US$): United States, $3.3 billion; Norway, $2.7 billion; Denmark $2.3 billion; China Taiwan, $2.3 billion; China Mainland, $2.2 billion; Indonesia, $1.6 billion; Russian Federation, $1.6 billion; Chile, $1.4 billion; Korea Republic, $1.4 billion; Netherlands, $1.4 billion; Iceland, $1.2 billion; India, $1.2 billion; United Kingdom, $1.1 billion and Spain, $1.0 billion.

Table 1. Imports and exports of fishery commodities (a) worldwide, by area of the world, and by selected trading regions, three-year average, 1993-1995

Source: Derived from (FAO 1997b)

1. Includes seven categories of commodities: fish, fresh, chilled or frozen; fish, dried, salted or smoked; crustaceans and molluscs; fish, canned; crustaceans and molluscs, canned; oils; meals

2. Individual amounts may not add to totals due to rounding

3. Represents the trading activity of 202 countries

4. The list of low-income food-deficit countries is available (FAO 1997b). By region of the world, the number of countries with fish trading activity and the number which are considered low-income food-deficit are shown by region (low-income food-deficit in region/total number in region): Africa (41/54); North America (6/32); South America (3/14); Asia (15/37); Europe (3/33); Oceania (6/17); former USSR (7/15); Total (81/202)

5. Includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom

6. Includes United States, Canada and Mexico

Asia is the leading exporting region with 36.5 percent of the total, followed by Europe at 28.9 percent and North America at 14.7 percent. The European Community is the leading fish exporting organized bloc with 21.3 percent of the world total, followed by the NAFTA countries at 12.8 percent. In the case of Asia, Japan has a minor role in exports, indicating the importance of the dependence on seafood exports by the remaining Asian countries. This is significant in that a large number of countries who rely individually on exports to the European Union, the United States and Japan, will need to clearly comply with recently reorganized seafood safety and quality standards of those counties in order to continue this export position.

The average annual value of fish commodities imported worldwide from 1993 to 1995 was US$50.56 billion (Table 1). Fifty countries accounted for almost 98 percent of imports. Japan was the leading country with US$16.1 billion in fish commodity imports (32 percent of world total), followed by the United States with US$6.8 billion (14 percent of world total). Eight other countries each had over US$1.0 billion in imports: France, $2.9 billion; Spain, $2.8 billion; Germany, $2.2 billion; Italy, $2.2 billion; United Kingdom, $1.8 billion; Hong Kong, $1.6 billion; Denmark, $1.4 billion and the Netherlands, $1.0 billion.

The influence of Japan makes Asia the leading fish importing region, followed by Europe and North America (Table 1). Excluding Japan, the rest of the countries in Asia together import only US$6.1 billion. It is also interesting to note that the low-income food deficit countries import only 3.6 percent of the fish worldwide and export 17.9 percent. Fish are clearly a source of hard currency for many low-income food deficit countries. Finally, the importance of organized trading blocs and arrangements can again be seen from these data. As a group, the members of the European Community are the leading fish importing bloc in the world, with 33.7 percent of total imports. Japan is second at 31.8 percent with the loose confederation of NAFTA counties third at 15.6 percent.