The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020

MILLION TONNES (LIVE WEIGHT)
MILLION TONNES (LIVE WEIGHT)
0
10
20
30
40
50
USD BILLIONS
0
20
40
60
80
100
1976
1982
1988
1994
2000
2006
2012
2018
1976
1982
1988
1994
2000
2006
2012
2018
0
10
20
30
40
EXPORTS
IMPORTS
Developing countries or areas 
Developed countries or areas 
SOURCE: FAO.
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PART 1 
WORLD REVIEW
FIGURE 31
TRADE FLOWS OF FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS BY CONTINENT (SHARE OF TOTAL IMPORTS,
IN TERMS OF VALUE), 2018
NORTH AMERICA
AFRICA
INTRAREGIONAL
TRADE
 
2%
28%
6%
33%
1%
29%
16%
1%
12%
48%
1%
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
5%
8%
3%
32%
0%
22%
51%
NOTE: Final boundary between the Sudan and South Sudan has not yet been determined.
SOURCE: FAO.
| 78 |

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 
2020
 
OCEANIA
ASIA
EUROPE
59.8
12%
20%
11%
3%
5%
49%
63%
5%
9%
8%
14%
1%
4%
3%
3%
11%
67%
13%
| 79 |

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PART 1 
WORLD REVIEW
value to 54 percent, and from 39 percent to 
60 percent of total quantity (in live weight 
equivalent), supported by strong aquaculture 
production growth and heavy investment in 
export market development. China, the rest of 
developing East Asia, Southeast Asia and South 
America made the most substantial gains in 
this period. In 2018, fish exports of developing 
countries were valued at USD 88 billion, and 
their net fish export revenues (exports minus 
imports) reached USD 38 billion, higher than 
those of other agricultural commodities (such 
as meat, tobacco, rice and sugar) combined. 
Both as a source of export revenue and as a 
provider of employment, trade in fish and fish 
products represents an important contributor to 
economic growth in developing countries. 
For many decades, three major markets have 
accounted for a large proportion of total 
imports – the European Union,
14
the United 
States of America and Japan – all heavily 
dependent on imports to meet consumer 
demand, often of relatively more expensive 
species than those consumed in other 
countries. In 1976, the value of imports by the 
European Union, the United States of America 
and Japan represented 33 percent, 22 percent 
and 21 percent, respectively, of the global total. 
In 2018, while the share of the European Union 
was largely unchanged (34 percent), the shares 
of the United States of America and Japan had 
fallen to 14 percent and 9 percent, respectively. 
According to the latest available estimates, 
these trends continued in 2019. Their declining 
shares are rather the result of much faster 
demand growth in many emerging economies,