World Fisheries Day (November 21): Facts, Threats & Solutions

Fish feed billions of people and support the livelihoods of tens of millions of families — from small boats on the Bay of Bengal to fleets in the Pacific. World Fisheries Day, celebrated every November 21, honours fishing communities and calls for healthy oceans, rivers and fish stocks for future generations.

World Fisheries Day facts
Date	November 21 every year
Started	1997 in New Delhi
Founded by	Fishing community organisations that formed the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers
Focus	Sustainable fishing, healthy ecosystems and fishers’ rights
Hashtags	#WorldFisheriesDay #SustainableFishing

How the Day Began

In 1997, representatives of fishing communities from 18 countries met in New Delhi and founded a world forum to promote sustainable fishing practices and protect the rights of small-scale fishers. They chose November 21 as a day to highlight the importance of fisheries — and the threats facing them.

Fish and Fisheries in Numbers

Indicator	Latest global estimate (FAO)
Total fisheries and aquaculture production (2022)	About 223 million tonnes
Share of aquatic animals from aquaculture (2022)	About 51% — the first time farming overtook wild catch
People employed in the primary sector	About 62 million
Fish stocks fished at biologically unsustainable levels	Around 38%
Small-scale fisheries	Provide a large share of catch and employ most of the world’s fishers

Threats to Fisheries

• Overfishing — catching fish faster than they can reproduce.
• Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• Destructive methods such as bottom trawling and dynamite fishing.
• Bycatch — turtles, dolphins, sharks and seabirds caught by accident.
• Pollution — plastics, chemicals and agricultural run-off.
• Climate change — warming and acidifying oceans shift fish to new areas.

Fisheries in Bangladesh: A Success Story

Fish is central to life in Bangladesh — the saying goes “Machhe-bhate Bangali” (fish and rice make a Bengali). The national fish, hilsa (ilish), recovered strongly after the country introduced seasonal fishing bans in breeding grounds and supported fishing families with food during the ban. Bangladesh is also one of the world’s largest producers of inland and farmed fish.

What You Can Do

1. Choose seafood from sustainable sources — look for certification labels.
2. Eat a wider variety of fish, not just the most popular species.
3. Avoid buying undersized fish or fish caught during breeding bans.
4. Cut single-use plastics that end up in rivers and seas.
5. Support local and small-scale fishers.

👉 Also November 21: World Hello Day

👉 Also November 21: World Television Day

Top Fish-Producing Countries

Country	Notable for
China	By far the largest producer of both farmed and wild-caught fish
India	Huge inland and marine fisheries and fast-growing aquaculture
Indonesia	Major producer of tuna and farmed seaweed and fish
Vietnam	A leading exporter of pangasius and shrimp
Peru	Massive anchovy catch used for fishmeal
Bangladesh	One of the world’s largest inland fish producers and home of the hilsa
Norway	The world’s largest producer of farmed salmon

How Bangladesh Protects the Hilsa

Hilsa (ilish) provides a large share of Bangladesh’s fish catch and supports hundreds of thousands of fishers. During the main breeding season in October, the government bans hilsa fishing for about three weeks and designates sanctuaries in rivers such as the Meghna and Padma. Fishing families receive rice and other support during the ban. These measures helped hilsa production grow significantly over the past two decades, and Bangladeshi hilsa received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2017.

Small-Scale Fishers Matter

• Most of the world’s fishers work in small-scale fisheries using small boats and simple gear.
• They supply fresh, affordable fish to local markets.
• Women play a key role in processing, drying and selling fish.
• They are among the most vulnerable to storms, overfishing by industrial fleets and climate change.

FAQs