The FAO Yearbook of Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics, prepared by the Statistics Team of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, offers a synthesis of the major trends in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Statistics are presented in eight main thematic chapters, covering statistics of production (total, aquaculture, capture fisheries), employment,...

The Sub-Committee on Aquaculture at its tenth session held in Trondheim, Norway from 23 to 27 August 2019 commended FAO’s work on the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA) and provided guidance on the way forward, including support for regional consultations. The Sub-Committee further encouraged Members to contribute to the GSA...

The current edition of SAMUDRA Report, No. 89, dated August 2023, features a range of articles from Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Amazon, as well as an analysis of climate change and fisheries, and a comprehensive look at the Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH) report, arguably the most concerted...

Marine mammal depredation refers to the phenomenon of marine mammals partially or completely removing catch from fishing gear. Its results, which can affect the survival of wild dolphin populations, as well as damage gear or target fish, disturb fishing activities and generate economic losses for fishers, are a growing cause...

This trilingual report is on the Regional Workshop on Fish Health Management and Fish Diseases, a hybrid event, which was held on 20–22 December 2021 in Antalya, Türkiye in partnership with the Central Union of Aquaculture Producers of Türkiye (SUYMERBIR). The study has been developed within the scope of the...

ON a beach south of Ivory Coast’s economic hub Abidjan, a group of fishermen are spending the day sitting in the shade and playing cards. Normally, they would be out on their boats – long canoes known as pirogues –and hunting the seas.   But this month, they have been banned from doing...

Ce document résume l’essentiel du contenu du cours de formation sous-régional sur la pêche continentale pour les pays du fleuve Sénégal qui a eu lieu du 3 au 6 mars 2022 à Saly Portudal, au Sénégal. Ce cours de quatre jours a réuni les délégués du Mali, de la Mauritanie,...

One of the most lucrative fisheries in Atlantic Canada – the elver [baby eel] fishery, which garners up to $5,000 per kilogram – was closed this past spring due to concerns about conservation and safety caused by poaching. In a fisheries management order prohibiting the fishing of elvers issued on April...

On Wednesday, 20 September 2023, the Committee on Fisheries held a public hearing entitled "The importance of fisheries and aquaculture for rural areas". The objective of this hearing is to listen to various stakeholders on what is important to them when it comes to fisheries and aquaculture in rural areas. Fisheries...

The 2023 Illuminating Hidden Harvests Report is arguably the most concerted and comprehensive research effort so far to focus exclusively on small-scale fisheries but it is not enough. Jointly produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Duke University and WorldFish, the 2023 Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH)...

Legislating for an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, inter-sectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others....

Pressing issues threatening the sustainability of living marine resources across the Caribbean were discussed at the 19th Session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) held in Bridgetown, Barbados, earlier this month. The hybrid meeting, which was organised and led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations...

Sri Lanka recently amended the National Fisheries Policy, incorporating all relevant SSF Guidelines. A number of institutions supported and facilitated this welcome change. They include the Sri Lanka Forum for Small-Scale Fisheries (SLFSSF); the National Fisheries Solidarity (NAFSO); an array of renowned scientists; and two important international organizations, namely, the...

As the State Fisheries Department prepares to launch its new artificial reef scheme, the Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) is urging the government to first implement this initiative in areas where fishing zones have been adversely affected. The Fisheries Department is set to commence the establishment of artificial reefs across 14 villages...

Lane Bolich first came to work in Alaska for the freedom and excitement that comes with being a fisher. A self-described adrenaline junkie, Bolich moved from his hometown in rural Washington state because he loves being on the ocean — even in cold winter weather — and it gave him the chance to make more...

Land-based workers in Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are generally covered by laws regulating the terms and conditions of employment, including occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations. For instance, in Fiji, Samoa and the Solomon Islands, and, more recently, in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, labour laws have been introduced...

Better governance in offshore tuna fisheries can achieve fair dealing for fishery crew. In this article I paint a rough picture of what it is like to be a fisher on some—not all—longline fishing vessels for weeks or months at a time. I also explore the measures in place to...

For Ung Bun, a 39-year-old fisherman from Cambodia’s southern Kep province, the days when he would come home with plentiful catches of flower crabs appear to be long gone. Pulling in his net one recent morning, he found just one crustacean. Ung Bun dropped the crab – a male that was...

Smoked fish is a delicacy in West Africa, making fish smoking the most important and widely used method for preserving fish. Fishing communities have poor access to fresh fish. What also drives the preference for this method is the scarcity of electricity, resulting in a lack of cold-chain facilities. Fish...

Este documento presenta el informe de la XVIII Reunión Ordinaria de la Comisión de Pesca en Pequeña Escala, Artesanal y Acuicultura de América Latina y el Caribe (COPPESAALC), celebrada en San José, Costa Rica, del 29 al 31 de marzo de 2023, encuentro en el que participaron 25 delegados de...