Goal 14
Life below water
Trade in fish can contribute from between 0.5 and 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) of different country groupings. Least developed countries (LDCs)The category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was officially established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with a view to attracting special international support for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the UN family.
more and small island developing States (SIDS)SIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more are the two country groups where the contribution to GDP of fisheries is highest.
In some LDCsThe category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was officially established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with a view to attracting special international support for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the UN family.
more and SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more fisheries can contribute as much as 10 per cent or more of GDP and fish consumption accounts for up to 90 per cent of animal protein in their populations’ diet (United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and FAO, 2012). Additionally, trade in fish is a fundamental source of foreign currency and a key factor in the trade balance for many LDCsThe category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was officially established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with a view to attracting special international support for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the UN family.
more and SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more.
UNCTAD data show that, in 2012 SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more exports of fish products reached US$1.75 billion, some 7 per cent of their total exports.
Figure 14.5 shows how SIDS fish exports have been growing over the last five years, with the exception of one year during the economic crisis when demand contracted in almost all merchandise sectors. It shows that there is still space for growth in fish trade.
For SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more and small coastal economies this is a clear opportunity that needs to be consolidated, especially if they can set appropriate policies to ensure that domestic firms catch and process the fish and fish products locally or regionally, as well as sustainably.
Currently, farmed fish account for 49 per cent of global seafood consumption and the global demand is expected to increase to 62 per cent by 2030 (World Bank, 2013). Fish farming has greatly diversified over the past decade to now include salmon, crustaceans and molluscs, among other species.
While most production is meant for human consumption, there are also other uses such as aquariums, fashion inputs and production of pharmaceuticals and perfumes. While disaggregated statistics specific to aquaculture for SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more are not readily available, total aquaculture production in the Caribbean and Oceania together represents less than 1 per cent of global aquaculture production (FAO, 2012). SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more in Oceania, led by Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, account for about 10 per cent of the region’s total aquaculture production. These figures highlight the potential for increased supply, higher levels of specialization and space for participation, especially with increasing demand from Asia.
In 2012, for the first time the number of international tourist arrivals reached over one billion (United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2012). Approximately one out of every two tourists visited the seaside (UNWTO, 2013). For more than half of SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more, tourism generates their largest source of foreign exchange, accounting for between 20 and 50 per cent of GDP and over 30 per cent of employment (UNCTAD, 2014).
In terms of trade, travel services exports by SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more reached US$24 billion in 2012, representing more than 50 per cent of their total services exports (see figure 14.6). Additionally, travel services in SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more have had an annual growth rate of 7 per cent over the last five years, with the exception of 2009 where a small reduction in exports was felt as a consequence of the economic crisis (UNCTAD, 2014).
This growth has been possible due to a diversification in the origin of tourists, especially with new visitors from Asia (UNCTAD, 2013). These numbers give a good indication of how important the sea-based tourism sector is not only in the overall trade balance of SIDSSIDS were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3-14 June 1992).
more but also as a vector for investment and employment creation.
