Global rivers, lakes and wetlands contribute significantly to global food supply. The inland freshwater fisheries provide over 33% of the world’s small scale fish catch, providing valuable food security, improving rural livelihoods and employing over 60 million people.
Fish is rich in protein, omega 3 and amino acids and often low in fat. Around 100 million people in Africa regularly consume freshwater fish – and the Mekong Basin in Southeast Asia – where 60 million people get their main source of protein from freshwater fisheries.
About 1000 years ago there was a sudden shift towards marine species such as cod and herring.
A World Bank report from 2014 estimates that in 2030, 62% of the seafood we eat will be farm-raised to meet growing demand from regions such as Asia, where roughly 70% of fish will be consumed. China will produce 37% of the world’s fish, while consuming 38% of world’s food fish.
In 2013, Maldives, Iceland and Hong Kong were the biggest consumers of fish eaten by person, more than 70 kg a year. On average, we eat globally nearly 20 kg of fish per capita, according to Faostat data.
More details at Fish Consumption per Capita.
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