For the ninth consecutive year, China dominates global seafood production, accounting for 67 percent of the world's seafood output, according to a recent statement by China's Ministry of Commerce.
China now produces 34.43 million metric tons of seafood annually, followed by India, which represents just 6 percent of the world's seafood output.
China produces an array of seafood products, including shrimp, tilapia, squid, cod, catfish mackerel and eel.
China's shift toward shrimp production in recent years has elevated it to the No. 1 global seafood producer. In per capita seafood consumption worldwide, shrimp is far ahead of other seafood items such as tuna, salmon and pollock.
In 2008, China exported nearly 3 million metric tons of seafood worth USD 10 billion (EUR 7.4 billion) and accounting for 25 percent China's total aquaculture and agriculture exports.
China's Ministry of Agriculture has warned that 2009 will be a tough year for the seafood industry as a result of the global financial crisis. Global aquaculture production has grown 45 percent since 2000.
