GLOBEFISH celebrates a milestone

by Eurofish
Audun Lem

Four decades of analysing the global market for farmed and wild aquatic products

A unit in FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, GLOBEFISH is responsible for providing information and analysis concerning the global trade and markets in fisheries and aquaculture products.

Fish and seafood have long been the most highly traded animal protein in the world, a trade that has been increasing. According to the latest SOFIA report (State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024), the international trade in aquatic products involved over 230 countries and was valued at USD195bn in 2022, almost a fifth more than the pre-pandemic level in 2019. With its market reports, trade information, and price data GLOBEFISH identifies and analyses some of the trends in the global seafood market. This year GLOBEFISH celebrates its 40th anniversary and to mark the occasion, Eurofish, which since its inception in 2002 has collaborated with GLOBEFISH, interviews Audun Lem, now deputy director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, who has been associated with GLOBEFISH for much of his career at FAO.

This year GLOBEFISH celebrates its 40th anniversary in September. As one who has been involved with the organisation for many years what do you feel are its most important achievements so far, and what are the priorities going forward?

GLOBEFISH is a long-standing multi-donor project located within the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division. Created in 1984, its primary mission remains the provision of unbiased price and market data and reliable analysis of international trade and markets for aquatic food products.

Maybe the most important achievement of GLOBEFISH is its contribution to the now widespread recognition that market access is important, that value-chains matter, and that a significant part of the value-creation in the sector takes place in the post-harvest sector. I have observed how this view has evolved, especially at the policy level where in the past the focus was clearly on production, in both capture fisheries and in aquaculture. Today, the ability to enter international markets and to adhere to import requirements is seen as of fundamental importance. Likewise, the role of market and trade analysis and of consumer trends is also growing, including in the outputs of GLOBEFISH.

GLOBEFISH has been the backstopping agency for the other members of the FISH INFOnetwork. While individual members of the network have created profiles for themselves in the regions they serve, there is less awareness of the network itself. How desirable is it for the network to have a distinct identity that is more than the sum of its parts and what would it take to develop this?

There is a fine balance between having strong regional members who all are independent from FAO with their own governing bodies, budgets and priorities and that of FAO and GLOBEFISH in coordination and backstopping where and when relevant. Each region has its own characteristics but there are strong synergies in working together and economies of scale in capacity building and analysis on a global scale. And this is where GLOBEFISH has its strength. 

GLOBEFISH is an acknowledged leader in the provision of information on the global fish trade, an activity that has increased by over a third in the 10 years to 2021. What are the most salient trends in this trade to have emerged in the last years? Do you see a threat to this development as a result of a worsening geopolitical climate and an increase in trade barriers?

Trade has as you say expanded rapidly with nearly 40 percent of aquatic animal production now entering international markets. At the same time, increasing output has lifted average apparent aquatic animal food consumption to an estimated 20.7 kilos per kg at the global level although there are clear regional differences with Africa and Latin America at less than 50% of world averages. So, there is still strong potential for growth, both in terms of consumption and trade, and production, especially of farmed species, and also some recovery of stocks. It is correct that we have seen a growth in technical trade barriers, especially as relates to food safety. At the same time, several bilateral trade agreements have improved market access for many exporting countries. Overall, as long as the main markets such as the EU, Japan, and the US continue to rely on imports for the bulk of their needs, I do not expect to see any significant changes in the current trade patterns although as you have alluded to, the geopolitical situation has added new complexities.

What are the main trends you expect to see in the aquaculture sector over the next five years. Do you foresee production on land both marine and freshwater becoming a significant contributor to overall farmed fish production, at least in Europe? What are the likely consequences of such a development?

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FAO just released the latest issue of SOFIA, the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture which shows that for the first time in history, aquaculture now generates higher volumes of aquatic animals than capture fisheries. We expect aquaculture to continue to grow not just in Asia but also in regions such as Africa and Latin America where the potential is significant. It is interesting to note that also countries in the Caribbean and in SIDS (small island developing states) now look towards aquaculture for growing their aquatic food supplies. Europe, and in particular the EU, is of course heavily dependent on imports and even though we will see growth in land-based production thanks to important investments and new production methods, the volumes are not expected to be substantial in the near future. I would also like to mention that aquaculture plays a key role in product development, in packaging and in logistics and I think we will see a strong trend in more advanced products with a basis in farmed raw aquatic food material.

Climate change affects fisheries and aquaculture across the globe to varying degrees. How do you see it influencing the trade in fish and seafood? Will that continue to grow as it has in the past or can a slowdown in trade be partially attributed to climate-related disruption?

Climate change already impacts capture fisheries in several ways with new migration patterns and displacement of stocks as well as in changes in productivity. For aquaculture rising water temperatures opens new opportunities in some geographic areas but also creates difficulties for a number of sites operating today. More unstable weather conditions with extreme weather phenomena increase the need for more robust infrastructure. Fisheries and aquaculture continue to have a low carbon footprint overall compared to other food systems although there are of course differences between the various species fished or farmed and also depending on feed and production methods. Overall though, we expect trade of aquatic food product to continue to grow and both population and average consumption levels are projected to increase over the next couple of decades. 

Despite various initiatives to increase the sustainability of fisheries (Blue Transformation, COFI declaration for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, FAO’s strategic framework 2022-2031) the proportion of overfished stocks continues to rise? What explains this discrepancy?

This is correct if we look at the number of stocks, 62.3 percent are fished within biologically sustainable levels in 2021. But if we instead look at the share of landings coming from sustainably managed stocks, we get a different and much more positive picture. In fact, 77% of total landings in 2021 come from commercial stocks that are fished at sustainable levels. This shows that effective fisheries management brings concrete results and that where political will is present, countries are able to turn the situation around with long-term positive results for both the stocks themselves as well as for the communities that depend on them.

A long career at FAO is due to conclude next year when you retire from your current position as deputy director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division. Looking back what would you say have been the most encouraging developments within global fisheries and aquaculture and, on the other hand, where do you think most work remains to be done?

Well, the three most important developments are to me the following: 1. The role of aquaculture which now is more than 50% of total aquatic animal production. 2. The recognition that value-chains, markets, and trade are of fundamental importance for the overall development of the sector. And 3. That sustainability also includes the social dimension and that the wellbeing and decent working conditions for the many millions of people engaged in the sector concerns us all. Finally, and this remains a challenge at the policy level in many countries, that aquatic food systems play a fundamental role in providing safe and nutritious food, generate important economic benefits and sustain hundreds of millions of livelihoods at the global level. We are only 5-6 years away from the deadlines of the UN 2030 Agenda and fisheries and aquaculture certainly play a crucial role in achieving many of them.

And, at a more personal level how does one prepare the move from highly demanding job to a retired existence? What are your plans, both professional and personal, for this next phase in your life?

I am privileged to live in Rome which offers a lot both from a professional and private side. In addition to some consulting and teaching, I will dedicate more time to my personal interests, visit those places I always wanted to see but for some reason never managed to and also pursue my interests in history and take up yoga again. In short, I plan to keep busy and stay active. 

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