Tonnes of Seafood Produced This Year
CURRENT TOTAL
Live Counter Notable Facts
(Data shown in the table is for 2025. Counter shows current estimate)
Annual Production
Per Second Rate
Aquatic Animals
Understanding Tonnes of Seafood Produced This Year
This counter tracks global seafood production in real-time, including both wild capture fisheries and aquaculture. Every second, approximately 7.29 tonnes of seafood are produced worldwide through fishing and farming operations, feeding billions of people.
Global seafood production reached a record 223.2 million tonnes in 2022 and continues to grow. This includes 185.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals for human consumption and 37.8 million tonnes of algae. Aquaculture now accounts for over 50% of seafood for human consumption, surpassing wild capture for the first time.
The seafood industry provides critical nutrition to over 3 billion people who rely on fish as their primary source of protein. With global population growth and rising incomes, demand for seafood is projected to increase by 15% by 2030, requiring sustainable management of both wild stocks and aquaculture expansion.
Global Seafood Production Overview
- Seafood production has transformed dramatically, with aquaculture emerging as the dominant source. In 2022, aquaculture produced 94.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals, representing 51% of total production - a milestone marking the shift from hunting to farming in our oceans.
- Asia dominates global seafood production, accounting for 70% of the total, with China alone contributing 35%. The top 10 producing countries - China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Philippines, South Korea, Norway, Egypt, and Chile - generate nearly 90% of global aquaculture output.
- Wild capture fisheries have stabilized at around 90-92 million tonnes annually since the late 1980s. However, only 62.3% of marine stocks are fished within sustainable levels, down from previous decades, highlighting the urgent need for improved fisheries management.
- The economic value of global seafood trade exceeds $180 billion annually, supporting livelihoods for 600 million people worldwide. Small-scale fisheries employ 90% of the world's fishers and fish workers, contributing about half of global fish catch in developing countries.
Seafood Production Terminology
- Aquaculture: The farming of aquatic organisms including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants in controlled environments
- Wild Capture Fisheries: Harvesting of naturally occurring fish and seafood from oceans, rivers, and lakes
- Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY): The largest average catch that can be taken from a stock under existing environmental conditions
- Blue Food: Aquatic foods from marine and freshwater systems, encompassing finfish, shellfish, algae, and aquatic plants
Production by Source
- Marine Capture: 81 million tonnes (35% of total)
- Marine Aquaculture: 35 million tonnes (15% of total)
- Inland Aquaculture: 60 million tonnes (26% of total)
- Inland Capture: 11.3 million tonnes (5% of total)
- Algae Production: 38 million tonnes (17% of total)
- Other Aquatic Animals: 2% of total
Top Seafood Species Groups
- Carps & Cyprinids: 28 million tonnes
- Anchoveta: 7.3 million tonnes
- Alaska Pollock: 3.5 million tonnes
- Skipjack Tuna: 3.2 million tonnes
- Tilapias: 5.2 million tonnes
- Shrimps & Prawns: 9.8 million tonnes
Future Projections
- 2030 Production Target: 202 million tonnes (14% increase)
- Aquaculture Growth: Expected to reach 106 million tonnes by 2030
- Per Capita Consumption: Projected 21.4 kg by 2030
- Employment: Expected to support 660 million livelihoods
- Trade Value: Projected to exceed $250 billion by 2030
- Sustainability Goal: 100% of stocks within biologically sustainable levels
Data Sources and References
Methodology and Data Collection
Global seafood production data is compiled from FAO's comprehensive fisheries and aquaculture statistics, national reporting systems, and regional fisheries management organizations covering over 200 countries and territories.
Real-time estimates use a production rate of 7.29 tonnes per second based on projected 2025 production of approximately 230 million tonnes, accounting for seasonal variations in fishing activities and continuous aquaculture operations.