World shifts from wild fish capture to aquaculture

Global fish production is increasingly shifting from capture fisheries to aquaculture. For more than 30 years, wild fish catches have remained relatively stable at around 90 mln tons per year, while aquaculture production has increased from about 17 mln tons in 1990 to more than 120 mln tons in the early 2020s.

In 2022, aquaculture for the first time supplied more aquatic animals for human consumption than traditional capture fisheries. Further growth in global fish supply is increasingly likely to depend on fish farming, as the scope for expanding wild catches is limited by the condition of natural fish stocks.

For agricultural markets, this structural shift means rising demand for feed. Commercial aquaculture increasingly relies on compound feeds based on soybean meal, corn, wheat and other grains, as well as vegetable oils. The expansion of aquaculture is therefore creating another steadily growing source of demand for agricultural commodities.

A particularly important trend is the partial replacement of fishmeal and fish oil with plant-based feed ingredients. This is strengthening the link between aquaculture and global soybean, grain and vegetable oil markets, while further growth in farmed fish production could support demand for these commodities in the coming years.

As a result, the shift from wild fish capture to aquaculture is changing more than just the fisheries sector. Expanding fish farming is gradually creating another major segment of demand for feed crops alongside traditional livestock and poultry production.

Tags: fish