Abstract:

The dynamic increase in the production of fish and other aquatic organisms in the world, which took place in 1950-2019, is positively correlated with the increase in the world's population. The changing consumption model has a large impact on the increase in analysed production. Fish is an increasingly appreciated source of full-value, easily digestible protein, minerals and vitamins. However, a disturbing phenomenon is the fact that more and more global fish stocks are being overfished. In the context of these problems, attention should be paid to the role of sustainable fisheries. The share of fish and other aquatic organisms obtained from fishing decreased, while the share of fish produced in aquaculture increased. This should be assessed as a very favorable phenomenon in the context of sustainable production. In the geographical structure of fish production, the importance of the Indian Ocean as a source of fish is growing, while the importance of the Atlantic Ocean, especially the North East Atlantic Ocean, is decreasing. This is related to the application of increasingly tightened catch limits by the European Union. In the analysed years, the structure of fish production in the world changed significantly, considered according to various criteria. China is the largest producer of fish and other aquatic organisms in the world. Indonesia and India also belong to the top three. The Asian region (Asian inland waters and the Northwest Pacific) dominate world fish and other aquatic production. The production of aquaculture fish is becoming increasingly important there. In the situation of the further increase in the consumption of fish and other aquatic organisms forecast by FAO, and the increasing risk of significant loss of stock of some fish species, it is necessary to extend the acquisition of fish and other aquatic organisms from aquaculture, tightening catch limits (European Union), greater control of catches, in order to eliminate illegal fishing.