Chapter 2 - Fishing and fish farming

Abstract

Fishing and fish farming take numerous forms in the world. In some places these are technologically advanced industries, while in other places fisheries and aquaculture are conducted in much the same way as they were more than a hundred years ago. This chapter begins by discussing fishing, mainly marine captures; it lists the principal fishing countries and the most harvested species. The discussion touches on the financial aspects of fishing and fish farming and the labour force employed in the two sectors. The chapter also discusses the principal fish farming countries, where China dominates all other countries. The discussion covers aspects such as breeding and genetic modification in aquaculture and fish consumption in general. The analysis then touches on the importance of fisheries and aquaculture in the economies of individual countries, including many island states, and describes a method used to measure their impact.