World fishery production in 2004 was 95 million tons (SOFIA 2006), representing a 5% rise with respect to 2003, where total catches fell to 90.5 million tons. The highest and lowest total fishery volumes recorded over the past ten years (1995-2004) for which complete statistics were available in 2006 coincide with the fluctuations in Peruvian anchovy catches, a species that is significantly affected by the “El Niño” phenomenon. Catches of this small pelagic species varied over the decade from a minimum of 1.7 million tons in 1998 to a maximum of 11.3 million tons in 2000, whereas total world catches, excluding anchovy, remained relatively stable at between 83.6 and 86.5 million tons.
According to preliminary production estimates of world catches for 2005, catches in continental waters have increased almost 0.4 million tons and marine catches have declined 1.5 million tons. Less than one third of production from marine catches lost in 2004, however, can be attributed to the significant variability of Peruvian anchovy, because total catches of all remaining marine species combined fell about 1 million tons.
The first sale estimated value of fishery production from world catches was approximately US$84.9 billion, 3.6% up compared with 2003.
The only recent change in the rating of the ten leading producer countries was Chile, which passed from the sixth place in 2002, to seventh in 2003, and to fourth in 2004, also due to the fluctuation in anchovy catches.
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