This is a list of aquatic animals that are harvested commercially in the greatest amounts, listed in order of tonnage per year (2012) by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Species listed here have an annual tonnage in excess of 160,000 tonnes.
This table includes mainly food fish species, but also listed are crustaceans (crabs and shrimps), cephalopods (squids and cuttlefishs), bivalves, and a reptile (softshell turtle).
Note that Oreochromis niloticus and Penaeus monodon appear twice, because substantial amounts are harvested from the wild as well as being extensively raised through aquaculture.
The 70 wild species shown in this table total 41,925,250 tonnes. Other wild species total 49,410,980 for a world total of 91,336,230 tonnes of wild, captured animals. [2]
The 31 cultivated species shown in this table total 45,252,999 tonnes. Other cultivated species total 21,380,254 tonnes for a world total of 66,633,253 tonnes of animals cultivated through aquaculture. [3]
Common name(s) | Binomial name | Image | Wild/ cultivated | Harvest in tonnes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grass carp | Ctenopharyngodon idella | Cultivated | 6,068,014 | China is the major producer of the grass carp, which grows quickly and requires fairly little dietary protein. Low-cost feed such as grain processing and vegetable oil extraction by-products, terrestrial grass, and aquatic weeds, allows the grass carp to be produced cheaply. [4] This fish is mainly sold fresh, either in pieces or whole. | |
Peruvian anchoveta | Engraulis ringens | Wild | 4,692,855 | ||
Silver carp | Hypophthalmichthys molitrix | Cultivated | 4,189,578 | A variety of Asian carp, widely cultivated with other aquaculture carp, but under pressure in its home range (China and eastern Siberia). Also called "flying fish", it is an invasive species in many countries. [5] | |
Common carp | Cyprinus carpio | Cultivated | 3,791,913 | ||
Asari, Japanese littleneck, Manila clam, Filipino Venus, Japanese cockle, Japanese carpet shell | Venerupis philippinarum | Cultivated | 3,785,311 | ||
Alaska pollock | Theragra chalcogramma | Wild | 3,271,426 | This species is often the main ingredient in the so-called crab sticks. | |
Nile tilapia | Oreochromis niloticus | Cultivated | 3,197,330 | ||
Whiteleg shrimp | Penaeus vannamei | Cultivated | 3,178,721 | ||
Bighead carp | Hypophthalmichthys nobilis | Cultivated | 2,898,816 | ||
Skipjack tuna | Katsuwonus pelamis | Wild | 2,795,339 | ||
Catla | Catla catla | Cultivated | 2,761,022 | ||
Crucian carp | Carassius carassius | Cultivated | 2,451,845 | ||
Atlantic salmon | Salmo salar | Cultivated | 2,066,561 | The wild Atlantic salmon fishery is commercially dead; after extensive habitat damage and overfishing, wild fish make up only 0.5% of the Atlantic salmon available in world fish markets. The rest are farmed, predominantly from aquaculture in Norway, Chile, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Faroe Islands, Russia and Tasmania in Australia. | |
Atlantic herring | Clupea harengus | Wild | 1,849,969 | ||
Chub mackerel | Scomber japonicus | Wild | 1,581,314 | ||
Rohu | Labeo rohita | Cultivated | 1,555,546 | ||
Yellowfin tuna | Thunnus albacares | Wild | 1,352,204 | ||
Japanese anchovy | Engraulis japonicus | Wild | 1,296,383 | ||
Largehead hairtail | Trichiurus lepturus | Wild | 1,235,373 | ||
Atlantic cod | Gadus morhua | Wild | 1,114,382 | ||
European pilchard | Sardina pilchardus | Wild | 1,019,392 | ||
Capelin | Mallotus villosus | Wild | 1,006,533 | ||
Jumbo flying squid | Dosidicus gigas | Wild | 950,630 | ||
Milkfish | Chanos chanos | Cultivated | 943,259 | ||
Atlantic mackerel | Scomber scombrus | Wild | 910,697 | ||
Rainbow trout | Oncorhynchus mykiss | Cultivated | 855,982 | ||
Giant tiger prawn Asian tiger shrimp | Penaeus monodon | Cultivated | 855,055 | ||
Araucanian herring | Clupea bentincki | Wild | 848,466 | ||
Chinese razor clam Agemaki clam | Sinonovacula constricta | Cultivated | 720,466 | ||
Chinese mitten crab | Eriocheir sinensis | Cultivated | 714,392 | ||
Wuchang bream | Megalobrama amblycephala | Cultivated | 705,821 | ||
Pacific oyster Japanese oyster Miyagi oyster | Crassostrea gigas | Cultivated | 608,688 | ||
Louisiana crawfish Red swamp crawfish | Procambarus clarkii | Cultivated | 598,289 | ||
Akiami paste shrimp | Acetes japonicus | Wild | 588,761 | One of 14 species in the genus Acetes , this small, krill-like prawn is used to produce shrimp paste in South East Asia. | |
Gulf menhaden | Brevoortia patronus | Wild | 578,693 | ||
Indian oil sardine | Sardinella longiceps | Wild | 560,145 | ||
Black carp | Mylopharyngodon piceus | Cultivated | 495,074 | ||
European anchovy | Engraulis encrasicolus | Wild | 489,297 | ||
Northern snakehead | Channa argus | Cultivated | 480,854 | ||
Pacific cod | Gadus macrocephalus | Wild | 474,047 | ||
Pacific saury | Cololabis saira | Wild | 460,961 | ||
Pacific herring | Clupea pallasii | Wild | 451,457 | ||
Bigeye tuna | Thunnus obesus | Wild | 450,546 | ||
Chilean jack mackerel | Trachurus murphyi | Wild | 447,060 | ||
Yellow croaker | Larimichthys polyactis | Wild | 437,613 | ||
Haddock | Melanogrammus aeglefinus | Wild | 430,917 | ||
Gazami crab | Portunus trituberculatus | Wild | 429,959 | ||
Amur catfish Japanese common catfish | Silurus asotus | Cultivated | 413,350 | ||
European sprat | Sprattus sprattus | Wild | 408,509 | ||
Pink salmon | Oncorhynchus gorbuscha | Wild | 406,131 | ||
Mrigal carp | Cirrhinus mrigala | Cultivated | 396,476 | ||
Channel catfish | Ictalurus punctatus | Cultivated | 394,179 | See also: Aquaculture of catfish | |
Blood cockle | Anadara granosa | Cultivated | 391,574 | ||
Blue whiting | Micromesistius poutassou | Wild | 378,794 | ||
Hilsa shad | Tenualosa ilisha | Wild | 376,734 | ||
Daggertooth pike conger | Muraenesox cinereus | Wild | 372,704 | ||
California pilchard | Sardinops caeruleus | Wild | 364,386 | ||
Cape horse mackerel | Trachurus capensis | Wild | 356,795 | ||
Pacific anchoveta | Cetengraulis mysticetus | Wild | 352,945 | ||
Japanese flying squid | Todarodes pacificus | Wild | 351,229 | ||
Argentine shortfin squid | Illex argentinus | Wild | 340,622 | ||
Pollock | Pollachius virens | Wild | 336,838 | ||
Chinese softshell turtle | Pelodiscus sinensis | Cultivated | 335,535 | This species is a significant part of China's aquaculture. According to the data obtained from 684 Chinese turtle farms, they sold over 91 million turtles of this species every year; considering that these farms represented less than half of the 1,499 registered turtle farms in China, the nationwide total could be over twice as high. [6] | |
Kawakawa | Euthynnus affinis | Wild | 328,927 | ||
Indian mackerel | Rastrelliger kanagurta | Wild | 325,612 | ||
Asian swamp eel | Monopterus albus | Cultivated | 321,006 | ||
Yesso scallop | Patinopecten yessoensis | Wild | 318,081 | ||
Argentine hake | Merluccius hubbsi | Wild | 318,067 | ||
Northern prawn | Pandalus borealis | Wild | 315,511 | ||
Short mackerel | Rastrelliger brachysoma | Wild | 312,930 | ||
Southern rough shrimp | Trachysalambria curvirostris | Wild | 308,257 | ||
Southern African anchovy | Engraulis capensis | Wild | 307,606 | ||
Pond loach | Misgurnus anguillicaudatus | Cultivated | 294,456 | ||
Iridescent shark | Pangasius hypophthalmus | Cultivated | 285,089 | ||
Mandarin fish Chinese perch | Siniperca chuatsi | Cultivated | 281,502 | ||
Nile perch | Lates niloticus | Wild | 278,675 | ||
Round sardinella | Sardinella aurita | Wild | 273,018 | ||
Japanese pilchard | Sardinops melanostictus | Wild | 269,972 | ||
American sea scallop | Placopecten magellanicus | Wild | 267,745 | ||
Bombay-duck | Harpadon nehereus | Wild | 257,376 | ||
Yellowhead catfish Korean bullhead | Tachysurus fulvidraco | Cultivated | 256,650 | ||
Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel | Scomberomorus commerson | Wild | 256,469 | ||
Albacore | Thunnus alalunga | Wild | 256,082 | ||
Madeiran sardinella | Sardinella maderensis | Wild | 251,342 | ||
Bonga shad | Ethmalosa fimbriata | Wild | 249,422 | ||
Silver cyprinid | Rastrineobola argentea | Wild | 241,122 | ||
Nile tilapia | Oreochromis niloticus | Wild | 235,003 | ||
Longtail tuna | Thunnus tonggol | Wild | 234,427 | ||
Atlantic menhaden | Brevoortia tyrannus | Wild | 224,404 | ||
Giant tiger prawn | Penaeus monodon | Wild | 212,504 | ||
North Pacific hake | Merluccius productus | Wild | 206,985 | ||
Atlantic horse mackerel | Trachurus trachurus | Wild | 205,807 | ||
Japanese jack mackerel | Trachurus japonicus | Wild | 202,816 | ||
Pacific thread herring | Opisthonema libertate | Wild | 201,993 | One of five species in the genus Opisthonema | |
Bigeye scad | Selar crumenophthalmus | Wild | 200,617 | ||
Yellowstripe scad | Selaroides leptolepis | Wild | 198,600 | ||
Chum salmon | Oncorhynchus keta | Wild | 189,777 | ||
Antarctic krill | Euphausia superba | Wild | 188,147 | ||
Blue swimming crab | Portunus pelagicus | Wild | 180,119 | ||
Pacific sand lance Pacific sandlance | Ammodytes personatus | Wild | 175,892 | Mostly manufactured into oil and meal, but also used as food in Japan. [7] | |
Goldstripe sardinella | Sardinella gibbosa | Wild | 161,839 |
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater, brackish water and saltwater populations under controlled or semi-natural conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture, commonly known as marine farming, refers specifically to aquaculture practiced in seawater habitats and lagoons, opposed to in freshwater aquaculture. Pisciculture is a type of aquaculture that consists of fish farming to obtain fish products as food.
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Historically, marine mammals such as cetaceans as well as seals have been eaten as food, though that happens to a lesser extent in modern times. Edible sea plants such as some seaweeds and microalgae are widely eaten as sea vegetables around the world, especially in Asia.
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place. Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both in freshwater bodies and the oceans. About 500 million people worldwide are economically dependent on fisheries. 171 million tonnes of fish were produced in 2016, but overfishing is an increasing problem — causing declines in some populations.
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, and the related harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors. The commercial activity is aimed at the delivery of fish and other seafood products for human consumption or as input factors in other industrial processes. The livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture.
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions. Large-scale commercial fishing is also known as industrial fishing.
Procambarus clarkii, known variously as the red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish or mudbug, is a species of cambarid crayfish native to freshwater bodies of northern Mexico, and southern and southeastern United States, but also introduced elsewhere, where it is often an invasive pest.
Fishing in India is a major sector which supports the livelihood of over 28 million people in India especially the marginalized and vulnerable communities. India is the third largest fish producing country in the world and accounts for 7.96% of the global production. The total fish production during the FY 2020-21 is estimated at 14.73 million metric tonnes. India is also a major producer of fish through aquaculture and ranks second in the world after China. Fisheries contributes to 1.07% of the Total GDP of India. According to the National Fisheries Development Board the Fisheries Industry generates an export earnings of Rs 334.41 billion. Centrally sponsored schemes will increase exports by Rs 1 lakh crore in FY25. 65,000 fishermen have been trained under these schemes from 2017 to 2020. Freshwater fishing consists of 55% of total fish production.
Fish and fish products are consumed as food all over the world. With other seafoods, they provides the world's prime source of high-quality protein; 14–16 percent of the animal protein consumed worldwide. Over one billion people rely on fish as their primary source of animal protein.
This page lists the world fisheries' production. The tonnage from capture and aquaculture is listed by country.
The global commercial production for human use of fish and other aquatic organisms occurs in two ways: they are either captured wild by commercial fishing or they are cultivated and harvested using aquacultural and farming techniques.
A wild fishery is a natural body of water with a sizeable free-ranging fish or other aquatic animal population that can be harvested for its commercial value. Wild fisheries can be marine (saltwater) or lacustrine/riverine (freshwater), and rely heavily on the carrying capacity of the local aquatic ecosystem.
Crab fisheries are fisheries which capture or farm crabs. True crabs make up 20% of all crustaceans caught and farmed worldwide, with about 1.4 million tonnes being consumed annually. The horse crab, Portunus trituberculatus, accounts for one quarter of that total. Other important species include flower crabs, snow crabs (Chionoecetes), blue crabs, edible or brown crabs, Dungeness crab, and mud crabs, each of which provides more than 20,000 tonnes annually.
China has one-fifth of the world's population and accounts for one-third of the world's reported fish production as well as two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production. It is also a major importer of seafood and the country's seafood market is estimated to grow to a market size worth US$53.5 Billion by 2027.
Aquaculture in Australia is the country's fastest growing primary industry, accounting for 34% of the total gross value of production of seafood. 10 species of fish are farmed in Australia, and production is dominated by southern bluefin tuna, Atlantic salmon and barramundi. Mud crabs have also been cultivated in Australia for many years, sometimes leading to over-exploitation. Traditionally, this aquaculture was limited to pearls, but since the early 1970s, there has been significant research and commercial development of other forms of aquaculture, including finfish, crustaceans, and molluscs.
The aquaculture of salmonids is the farming and harvesting of salmonids under controlled conditions for both commercial and recreational purposes. Salmonids, along with carp, and tilapia are the three most important fish species in aquaculture. The most commonly commercially farmed salmonid is the Atlantic salmon. In the U.S. Chinook salmon and rainbow trout are the most commonly farmed salmonids for recreational and subsistence fishing through the National Fish Hatchery System. In Europe, brown trout are the most commonly reared fish for recreational restocking. Commonly farmed nonsalmonid fish groups include tilapia, catfish, sea bass, and bream.
China, with one-fifth of the world's population, accounts for two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production.
Organic aquaculture is a holistic method for farming fish and other marine species in line with organic principles. The ideals of this practice established sustainable marine environments with consideration for naturally occurring ecosystems, use of pesticides, and the treatment of aquatic life. Managing aquaculture organically has become more popular since consumers are concerned about the harmful impacts of aquaculture on themselves and the environment.
Shrimp are crustaceans with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are referred to as "shrimp".
Fish slaughter is the process of killing fish, typically after harvesting at sea or from fish farms. At least one trillion fish are slaughtered each year for human consumption. Some relatively humane slaughter methods have been developed, including percussive and electric stunning. However, most fish harvesting continues to use methods like suffocation in air, carbon-dioxide stunning, or ice chilling that may not optimise fish welfare in some instances.
Aquaculture in the United Kingdom is dominated by salmon farming, then by mussel production with trout being the third most important enterprise. Aquaculture in the United Kingdom represents a significant business for the UK, producing over 200,000 tonnes of fish whilst earning over £700 million in 2012 (€793 million).
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