The Ocean and Us

Plants In addition to fish, marine ecosystems provide harvestable plants (SDG2 ‘promote sustainable agriculture’). The production of seaweed (both for human consumption and as input to other sectors, e.g. as fertilizer for agriculture) has increased rapidly between 2002 and 2012, totalling more than 23 million tonnes of cultured seaweed (FAO, 2014). Approximately 9 million tonnes of this production was for human consumption and 14 million tonnes for industrial

Fish also contributes to a diversified and nutritious diet. It provides high-value protein and also represents an important source of essential micronutrients, minerals and fatty acids. While average per capita fish consumption may be low, even in small quantities fish can have a significant positive nutritional impact by providing essential amino acids (FAO, 2014).

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