FAO is the only source of global fisheries and aquaculture statistics (FishStat), which represents a unique global asset for sector analysis and monitoring. These statistics are publicly available in different formats, including the FAO Yearbook of Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics, FishStatJ and the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA).

FishStat statistics are annually collected from national focal points and disseminated by FAO, in accordance with the mandate given by FAO Members to the Organization in Article I of FAO Constitution. The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics Team is responsible for the collection, compilation, validation, analysis, and dissemination of these statistics, which are structured within different data collections and associated questionnaires as follows:

• Aquaculture production
• Capture production
• Utilization of fisheries and aquaculture production
• Processed production of aquatic products
• Trade of aquatic products
• Employment
• Fishing vessels
• Apparent aquatic food consumption (no questionnaire associated)

To better facilitate the reporting of national fisheries and aquaculture statistics, FAO, supported by the Intergovernmental Organization INFOFISH, is organizing a dedicated online training session on the FishStat questionnaires detailed above. The training will be repeated five times according to different time zones. The meeting is open to all national statisticians and scientists responsible for reporting fisheries and aquaculture statistics to FAO. The training will be held three weeks before the deadline of submitting the completed questionnaires for this year data call (30 September 2024), to provide focal points any necessary support to submit their data in time.

The main objective of these sessions is to guide focal points on the filling of the FAO fisheries and aquaculture questionnaires, respond to queries on the content of data to be provided and also better understand the issues faced in providing the required data to FAO. The training sessions will also be an excellent opportunity to directly interact with FAO staff and meet fisheries and aquaculture statisticians of other countries in each region.