Aquaculture has expanded from 0.5 million tonnes in 1950 to 126 million tonnes in 2021, becoming a cornerstone of global food production. Yet while production statistics are precise, the people who sustain aquaculture remain poorly counted. Employment data lags far behind, leaving critical questions unanswered: Who works across the value chain? Under what conditions? And how are jobs distributed between men and women?

Early definitional debates and weak national systems meant that employment statistics were inconsistent. Even today, global figures mostly cover fish farmers in primary production, while employment in processing, trading, and services is largely invisible. Case studies show that women make up about 27% of the aquaculture workforce, but their roles vary widely across countries and industries. Shocks such as disease outbreaks or ownership changes often hit small-scale operators and women hardest, sometimes leading to “jobless growth.”

The FAO Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (2025) stress that decent work and employment opportunities are central to sustainability. Yet comprehensive data across the value chain is still missing. Without it, aquaculture risks undermining its social licence to operate. Reliable employment statistics are essential for policymakers, industry leaders, workers, and advocates to design fair policies, ensure transparency, and empower communities.

As the article concludes: “We cannot continue to measure tonnes of fish while leaving the people behind.” Building inclusive, gender-sensitive employment data systems is now critical if aquaculture is to feed the world while also sustaining livelihoods and delivering on the promise of decent work.

This Story is based on the article:
Williams - How many people are employed in aquaculture, Future Aquaculture 1(3) July 2026.

Author:
Meryl J Williams, Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section of the Asian Fisheries Society and Aquaculture Without Frontiers (Australia)

Journal:
Future Aquaculture