Average annual fish capture for species mostly used for fishmeal (1999-2007)
This table shows estimated average numbers of fish caught each year (1999-2007) for species that are reportedly mostly used for reduction to fish oil and meal.
Total average annual capture tonnage of fish caught for reduction (2001-2007) is 22.2 million tonnes, according to the FAO (see p13 in Estimating the Number of Fish Caught in Global Fishing Each Year.
Estimated by Alison Mood, October 2010.
| FAO species category | Ref. for use mainly as industrial species (See notes below) | Also used as food? | Ref. for use as food | Capture (t) | Estimated mean weight (g) | Estimated numbers (millions) |
|
| Anchoveta(=Peruvian anchovy) (Engraulis ringens) | 1,2,3 | Y | 1 | 8,736,862 | 10.0 - 28.7 | 303,997 - 873,686 |
|
| Blue whiting(=Poutassou) (Micromesistius poutassou) | 1,3 | Y | 4 | 1,864,858 | 135.0 - 340.0 | 5,485 - 13,814 |
|
| Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) | 3 | Y | 4 | 1,781,553 | 100.0 - 750.0 | 2,375 - 17,816 |
|
| Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) | 1,3 | Y | 1 | 1,778,803 | 200.0 - 1,000.0 | 1,779 - 8,894 |
|
| Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) | 3,2 | Y | 4 | 1,607,856 | 20.0 - 22.0 | 73,084 - 80,393 |
|
| European pilchard(=Sardine) (Sardina pilchardus) | 3 | Y | 4 | 1,049,680 | 68.8 - 127.2 | 8,254 - 15,257 |
|
| Capelin (Mallotus villosus) | 1,2,3 | Y | 1 | 1,034,615 | 17.0 - 50.0 | 20,692 - 61,003 |
|
| European sprat (Sprattus sprattus) | 1,4,3 | Y | 4 | 652,621 | 16.6 | 39,219 |
|
| Sandeels(=Sandlances) nei (Ammodytes spp) | 1,3 | N | 1 | 530,823 | 10.0 | 53,082 |
|
| California pilchard (Sardinops sagax) | 3,4 | Y | 4 | 516,144 | 120.0 - 183.0 | 2,820 - 4,301 |
|
| Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) | 4,2,3 | Y | 4 | 513,153 | 233.6 | 2,197 |
|
| Araucanian herring (Strangomera bentincki) | 4 | ? | ? | 427,893 | 27.1 - 33.8 | 12,669 - 15,816 |
|
| Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) | 2,4 | Y | 4 | 211,127 | 162.1 - 349.2 | 605 - 1,303 |
|
| Norway pout (Trisopterus esmarkii) | 4,3 | ? | ? | 70,670 | 19.9 - 28.1 | 2,519 - 3,546 |
|
| Tadpole codling (Salilota australis) | 4 | Y | 4 | 10,247 | 209.6 - 329.3 | 31 - 49 |
|
| Total: | | | | 20,786,905 | | 528,810 - 1,190,377 |
|
| Mean weight of industrial fish: | | | | | 17.5 - 39.3 | |
Source of capture tonnage : FAO FishStat "Capture Production 1950-2007 (Release Date: February 2009)".
Source of estimated mean weights : Study to estimate the global annual numbers of fish caught.
The references 1-4 below were used to determine which species are mostly used for fishmeal, and whether they are also used as food.
Note. Atlantic herring and Atlantic horse mackerel are not included here as mainly industrial species. The extent
to which these species are industrial is not clear from available references. Reference 3 gives Atlantic herring and
Atlantic horse mackerel as mainly industrial, however reference 1 gives herring and horse mackerel as primarily
for human consumption. Reference 2 gives herring e.g. Atlantic herring as a largely fishmeal species.
1. Shepherd, C. J., Pike, I. H. and Barlow, S. M., 2005. Sustainable feed resources of marine origin. Presented at aquaculture
Europe 2005. European Aquaculture Society special publication no. 35. June 2005 pp 59-66. International Fishmeal
and Fish Oil Organisation.
2. Miles, R. D. and Chapman, F. A., 2006. The benefits of fish meal in aquaculture diets. University of Florida.
Document FA122. May 2006.
3. Tacon, A. G. J., Mohammad, R. H., Rohanna, P. S., 2006. Use of fishery resources as feed inputs to Aquaculture
development: trends and policy implications. FAO Fisheries Circular No. 1018. Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
4. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009. FishBase.World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (08/2009). Accessed 22nd September, 2009.