According to FAO data for 2018, fish consumption per capita has risen steadily and sharply in the past six decades, from approximately 10 kg per capital in the 1960s to over 20 kg per capita in 2016.

 

Per capita consumption is projected to continue growing and the cumulative impact on global fish consumption, if global population growth and difficulties in the supply of alternative animal protein are also taken into account, is likely to drive fish consumption even more strongly.

 

The FAO study found that fish are the most common commodity in the global food market, with a turnover of $143 billion in 2016. Global fish consumption is steadily rising, at an annual growth rate of 8% over the past decade. 

 

The importance of fish consumption is growing in view of the worsening shortage of animal protein caused by plagues and diseases which have broken out among animals that provide humans with protein. Other reasons that greatly affect the importance of fish consumption are the sharp rise in the cost of inputs and the severe shortage of critical resources, such as land, feed, power, diesel, water, as well as the shortage/rising costs of animal feed crops.