Fish for Health: Role of Fish in Global Food and Animal Protein Supply

Abstract

Aquatic foods (includes farmed or wild-caught fish, molluscs, crustaceans, miscellaneous aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic plants or seaweeds) represent a valuable source of essential dietary nutrients for the world population. Although at the global level, aquatic animal food products supplied over 3.4 billion people with over 20% of their total animal protein food supply in 2022, this was not the case for all regions. The composition of aquatic species consumed also varied between geographic regions. In the African region, aquatic animal foods were dominated by fish species (primarily captured pelagic and marine fish), whereas in the Asian region, aquatic animal foods were dominated by cultured freshwater fish species. In general, these differences generally reflect the seasonal availability and cost of aquatic foods, the level of consumer income, culinary traditions and preferences, and the existence of an organized productive sector; fish products generally being the cheapest source of animal protein and food available in most Asian and many African countries.