China's aquaculture output has ranked first in the world for consecutive 32 years

China's State Council Information Office released a White Paper on "China's Pelagic Fisheries Development" on 24th, pointing out that China's aquaculture output has ranked first in the world for 32 consecutive years, becoming the world's largest aquatic product processor and exporter, and making a positive contribution to guaranteeing the world's food security.

Aquatic products are globally recognised as healthy food and play a key role in global food and nutrition security. Sustainable aquaculture development and effective fisheries management are crucial to safeguarding the supply of aquatic products in the international market. There is a high degree of consensus in the international community that fisheries play an important role in global food and nutrition security and in the livelihoods of people in coastal areas.

In recent years, international trade in fish and fishery products has grown significantly. According to FAO statistics, in terms of import value, the EU is the largest single import market, accounting for 16 per cent of total global fish imports in 2020 (excluding intra-EU trade); the United States is the largest importing country, accounting for 15 per cent of total global fish imports in 2020. In terms of export value, the top three exporting countries are China, Norway and Vietnam, with the combined export value of the three countries accounting for 25 per cent of total global fish exports. According to China's General Administration of Customs, China exported 3,747,400 tonnes of aquatic products in 2020, with the export value accounting for 12% of the total global aquatic products exports, and the main export destinations include the EU, ASEAN, Japan, the United States and other countries and regions.

The white paper said that according to the statistics published in the FAO's The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022, the total global fisheries and aquaculture production reached 214 million tonnes in 2020, reaching the highest level in history, of which the aquaculture production reached 122.6 million tonnes, with a share of 57.29% in the total global fisheries and aquaculture production.

China is the world's largest aquatic products producer, with a total aquatic products output of 65.49 million tonnes in 2020, of which 52.24 million tonnes were produced by aquaculture, accounting for about 80% of the total aquatic products output. China also has the highest aquaculture production in the world, with about 40 per cent of global aquaculture products coming from China. The development of China's fisheries industry, especially aquaculture, has made an important contribution to meeting the consumer demand for aquatic products in China and in the world, reducing the use of and reliance on natural marine fishery resources, and promoting the scientific conservation and sustainable use of global fishery resources.