This dataset presents statistics on world annual international trade of fishery and aquaculture products.

Data on the quantities of imports and exports of fishery and aquaculture products are expressed in tonnes and refer to the product weight. The values are expressed in thousands of US dollars.

FAO's International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishery Commodities (ISSCFC), has been used for collation of detailed information on countries or zones. ISSCFC is an expansion of the United Nations Standard International Trade Classification, Revision 4 (SITC Rev.4) and is linked with the Harmonized System of the World Customs Organization. The commodity categories cover products derived from fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals and residues caught for commercial, industrial or subsistence uses, by all types of classes of fishing units operating in inland, fresh and brackish waters, in inshore, offshore or high seas fishing areas. Commodities produced from the raw materials supplied by all kinds of aquaculture are also included.

The World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS) provided support on caviar data. The Marine Ingredients Organization (IFFO) provided support on fishmeal and fish oil data.

NB: Some commodities (major groups: "Sponges, corals, etc."; "Aquatic plants"; "Inedible") included in this dataset, are excluded from the summary tables contained in the section "Commodities" of the "FAO Yearbook of Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics". To obtain totals compatible with the yearbook, please execute the following steps:

1. Open the Filter Dialog Box (Data/Filter or F4).
2. Click the [Commodity] tab.
3. Click the Groups combo box and select [Yearbook/SOFIA selection of commodities].
4. Click [Fish, crustaceans and molluscs].
5. Click the single left arrow in order to move under the "Include" left panel all selected Commodities belonging to [Fish, crustaceans and molluscs].
6. Click [OK]. The program will return you to the Main Window.

Where necessary, any data published in previous releases of this dataset have been revised. Where the figures in the current release differ from those previously published, the amended data represent the most recent version. Some statistics provided to FAO by national offices, in particular those for the last year, are provisional and may be amended in future editions.

" M " = Missing value (data cannot exist, not applicable);
" O " = Missing value (for any reason);
" N " = Negligible (more than zero but less than half the unit used);
" E " = FAO estimate;
" " = Official.

" nei " = Not Elsewhere Included;

AUSTRALIA - Year ending 30 June (up to 2002; from 1998 only imports)
ESWATINI - Year beginning April (from 2002 to 2007)
GAMBIA - Year ending 30 June (from 2002 to 2013)
IRAN I R - Year beginning 20-23 March
MICRONESIA - Year ending 30 September (up to 2001)
NEW ZEALAND - Year ending 30 June (only 2002)

Where data for split-years are tabulated together with data on a calendar year basis, those for split-years are shown under the calendar years in which the split-years end.

a) Special trade is a system of recording imports for domestic consumption on the one hand and exports of domestic goods on the other. Special imports include goods for domestic consumption and withdrawals from bonded warehouses or free zones for purposes of domestic consumption. Special exports comprise exports of goods wholly or partially produced or manufactured in the country, together with exports of «nationalized goods», but not of goods held in bonded warehouses or free zones.


b) General trade is a system which records total imports and total exports including re-exports. General imports consist of all imports into a country, including goods for domestic consumption and imports into bonded warehouses or free zones. General exports consist of the combined total of national exports and re-exports. Re-exports, in the general trade system, consist of the outward movement of nationalized goods plus goods which, after importation, move outward from bonded warehouses or free zones without having been transformed.

Export and import data in this dataset relate to general trade for all countries except those named below, which report/have reported on the basis of special trade:

Differences between figures given for total exports and total imports of any one commodity may be due to several factors, e.g. the time lapse between the dispatch of goods from the exporting country and their arrival in the importing country; the use of a different classification of the same product by different countries; or the fact that some countries supply trade data on general trade, while others give data on special trade.

In accordance with the internationally recommended practice, import statistics include fish caught by foreign fishing craft, whether or not processed on board, landed in domestic ports; export statistics include fish caught by domestic fishing craft, whether or not processed on board, landed in foreign ports.

VALUATION

For the following countries or areas import and export values are both f.o.b.:

ANTIGUA BARB (cif/cif 2015-2016)
AUSTRALIA (up to 2018)
BOLIVIA (2019)
BRAZIL (up to 2018)
CANADA
DOMINICAN REP (2012-2018)
GHANA (2015)
ICELAND (2012-2018)
MEXICO (2015/2016/2019)
NEW ZEALANDA (2019 imp cif/fob)
PALAU (2012/2014-2018)
PARAGUAY (2019)
PHILIPPINES (2019)
SOUTH AFRICA
USA (fas for exports in 2017)
VENEZUELA (2015/2016)

Country or area names and designations are subject to nationally announced changes. Name changes announced after 31 December 2019 have not necessarily been incorporated in this dataset but will be reflected in future releases.

Final data have been provided by many national offices; others submitted provisional figures only. Whenever national offices failed to report their annual statistics in time for publication, FAO, in the absence of other information, has generally used as trade estimates the returns of trading partners.

Where national figures in this dataset differ from those previously released by FAO, the most recently published data represent the latest revisions.

When quoting FishstatJ data, please use the following reference:

FAO. 2021. Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics. Global Fish Trade Statistics 1976-2019 (FishstatJ). In: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division [online]. Rome. Updated 2021. www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/software/fishstatj/en

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

FAO declines all responsibility for errors or deficiencies in the database or software or in the documentation accompanying it, for program maintenance and upgrading as well as for any damage that may arise from them. FAO also declines any responsibility for updating the data and assumes no responsibility for errors and omissions in the data provided. Users are, however, kindly asked to report any errors or deficiencies in this product to FAO.

The word "countries" appearing in the text refers to countries, territories and areas without distinction.

The designations employed and the presentation of material in the map(s) do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ("FAO") is mandated to collect, analyze, interpret, and disseminate information related to nutrition, food, and agriculture. In this regard, it publishes a number of databases on topics related to FAO’s mandate, and encourages the use of them for statistical, scientific, and research purposes. Accordingly, all databases provide datasets free of charge, in machine-readable format, and subject to the terms of use of this agreement ("Dataset terms") and the Terms and Conditions regarding the Reuse of Web content , which are incorporated herein by reference.