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FAO / SOFIA 2024 BARANGE SOUNDBITES

The 2024 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) said global fisheries and aquaculture production surged to 223.2 million tonnes, a 4.4 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2020.

Asset date 06/07/2024

Language English, Spanish

Script STORY: FAO / SOFIA 2024 BARANGE SOUNDBITES
TRT: 3:35
SOURCE: FAO
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SPANISH
DATELINE: 28 MAY 2024, ROME, ITALY / RECENT

STORYLINE:

World fisheries and aquaculture production have hit a new high, with aquaculture production of aquatic animals surpassing capture fisheries for the first time, according to a flagship report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released today.

The 2024 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) said global fisheries and aquaculture production surged to 223.2 million tonnes, a 4.4 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2020. In terms of aquatic animal production, aquaculture surpassed capture fisheries for the first time with 94.4 million tonnes or 51 percent of the world total.

This trend offers a promising path towards tackling global hunger while safeguarding our oceans, said Manuel Barange, Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

These are the selected soundbites, both in English and Spanish:

1. SOUNDBITE (English), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “The SOFIA report shows that, for the first time, aquaculture has overtaken capture fisheries in being the main source of aquatic products [animals]. We have in 2022 produced 185 million tons of aquatic foods, 51 percent of those coming from aquaculture. And this is a great thing, because it allows us to continue using fisheries and aquaculture to end hunger and poverty, not by reducing capture fisheries, which remain stable, but by growing aquaculture above the production of captive fisheries.”

2. SOUNDBITE (English), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “We have 750 million people that are suffering from hunger today, a number that is not being reduced. We need to produce more and to produce better. And the growth in aquaculture is building up on, in fact, a stabilisation of captured fisheries. So that overtaking of capture fisheries is not because capture fisheries is decreasing in production, it’s very stable, [it] has been very stable for 30 years. But aquaculture continues to grow and that is a great tool for us to fight hunger and to fight poverty, and using natural resources sustainably.”

3. SOUNDBITE (English), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “Aquaculture has been very successful, but 90 percent of global aquaculture is produced in Asia. Only, for example, 1.9 percent is produced in Africa. So, if we need to continue growing aquaculture properly, we need to make sure that this geographical imbalance is addressed. And some of the work that FAO will do is particularly focused on how to develop aquaculture in the places where aquaculture is not being successful or is not developing properly.”

4. SOUNDBITE (English), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO: “The biggest challenge is how to feed 9.7 billion people in the year 2050. We need to put our heads together and show that we have the technical elements together and the political will. We know what is needed. But you know, everyone has to walk that walk. But we are confident that we have the technical knowledge to achieve it.”

5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO:
“Globalmente hemos producido 185 millones de toneladas de productos acuáticos [animales acuáticos]. De esos 185 millones, el 51 por ciento viene de acuicultura y ese es el primer mensaje de SOFIA. Por la primera vez en la historia, la acuicultura produce más alimentos acuáticos, más productos acuáticos [animales acuáticos], que la pesca. Lo que es un éxito, porque nos permite continuar aumentando la contribución de la pesca, de la acuicultura, para la lucha contra el hambre y la malnutrición, no reduciendo la pesca, que continúa a un nivel bastante constante desde los últimos 30 años, pero aumentando la producción de la acuicultura.”

6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries Aquaculture Division at FAO:
“La acuicultura está creciendo en todos los países, pero el 90 por ciento de la producción tiene lugar en Asia, principalmente en China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India. Sólo hay tres países en los diez principales productores que no son de Asia. Luego eso quiere decir que tenemos que procurar mejorar la producción en los lugares donde no se está produciendo acuicultura. Por ejemplo, en América Latina sólo el 3,3 por ciento de la producción mundial tiene lugar en esos países. Luego sabemos que tenemos que trabajar más con esos países, apoyando a los países a desarrollar desde el punto de vista legal, la infraestructura legal, la política, traer el conocimiento básico y crecer la capacidad para aumentar la producción en esos países.”

Duration 3m34s

File size 58.91 MB

Unique identifier UF16INH