The new edition of the United Nation's The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report provides a comprehensive overview of the global seafood industry.

And within the more than 200 pages of the annual report is an abundance of interesting fish facts. We've pulled out 10 of our favorites.

 

1. Fresh, Frozen or other?

When it comes to how fish is delivered to market,46 percent, or 67 million tons hit the market live, fresh or chilled, while 30 percent, or 44 million tons, is in frozen form. The rest of the production is in dried, salted, smoked or other cured forms -- 12 percent, or 17 million tons -- and prepared and preserved forms, 13 percent, or 19 million tons.

2. Let's Make a Trade

Fish and fishery products represent one of the most-traded segments of the world food sector, with an estimated 78 percent of seafood products exposed to international trade competition.

3. Fish Dollars

World trade in fish and fishery products has grown significantly in value terms, with exports rising from $8 billion (€7.2 billion) in 1976 to $148 billion (€133.7 billion) in 2014, at an annual growth rate of 8 percent in nominal terms and 4.6 percent in real terms.

4. Pigging Out

The EU, the United States and Japan are highly dependent on fishery imports to satisfy their domestic consumption. In 2014, their combined imports represented 63 percent by value and 59 percent by quantity of world imports of fish and fishery products. The EU is, by far, the largest single market for fish imports, valued at $54 billion (€48.8 billion) in 2014 ($28 billion if intra-EU trade is excluded).

5. 9 Billion, No Problem

Overall, world supply of fish for human consumption has kept ahead of population growth over the past five decades, growing at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent in the period 1961–2013, compared with 1.6 percent for world population growth.

6. Lots of Boats in the Sea

The total number of fishing vessels in the world in 2014 is estimated at about 4.6 million. The fleet in Asia was the largest, consisting of 3.5 million vessels and accounting for 75 percent of the global fleet, followed by Africa (nearly 15 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (6 percent), North America (2 percent) and Europe (2 percent).

7. Overfishing?

An estimated 31.4 percent of fish stocks are being fished at a biologically unsustainable level and, therefore, overfished. Of all the stocks assessed in 2013, 58.1 percent were fully fished and 10.5 percent underfished.

8. Have You Heard of the '2030 Agenda'?

In September 2015, UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which sets aims for the contribution and conduct of fisheries and aquaculture toward food security and nutrition in the use of natural resources to ensure sustainable development in economic, social and environmental terms. It will help determine the future direction of global fisheries policies.

9. Center of the Plate Protein

In 2013, fish accounted for about 17 percent of the global population’s intake of animal protein and 6.7 percent of all protein consumed.

10. Here Comes Aquaculture

Global total capture fishery production in 2014 was 93.4 million tons, of which 81.5 million tons from marine waters and 11.9 million tons from inland waters. In 2014, fish harvested from aquaculture amounted to 73.8 million tons. World aquaculture production of fish accounted for 44.1 percent of total production (including for non-food uses) from capture fisheries and aquaculture in 2014, up from 42.1 percent in 2012 and 31.1 percent in 2004.