Inland Fisheries

1.4.3. Total capture fisheries production

          Global capture fisheries production reached 89.7 million tonnes in 2008. Of the total fish production of 142.3 million tonnes, capture fisheries accounted for about 63% in 2008. Of the total capture fisheries production, inland capture fisheries constituted 11.37%. Preliminary estimates for 2009 based on reporting by some major fishing countries indicate that total world fishery production reached almost 145.1 million tonnes, representing an increase of over 2.8 million tonnes compared with 2008 and a record high production. The inland capture fisheries production was reported to be 10.1 million tonnes in 2009. China remains by far the largest producer, with reported fisheries production of 47.5 million tonnes in 2008 (32.7 and 14.8 million tonnes from aquaculture and captures fisheries respectively). China, Peru and Indonesia are the top three countries in capture fisheries production. Catches from inland waters, about 90% of which occur in Africa and Asia, have shown a slowly but steadily increasing trend since 1950, owing in part to stock enhancement practices, and reached a record 10.2 million tonnes in 2008.

Figure 2: World capture fisheries production (In million tonnes)

(Source :FAQ, 2010)