Even though it is generally hard to sympathise with fish, they play an essential role in the ecosystem. Nowadays, there is no clear statement of the global fish consumption as well as the share of total fish production of fisheries and in fish farming (aquaculture) which is processed into fish meal and fish oil. An official figure provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 171 million tonnes of seafood were globally consumed by humans in 2016. However, this estimation involves not only fish and it also accounts for the whole weight of the animals of which only a part is edible.

This bachelor thesis investigates the estimated weight of consumed edible fish globally. Therefore, a lower and higher yield of edible flesh was determined, so that the weight of edible fish can be levelled off. Methods of empirical research allowed to statistically analyse the official data from globally recorded capture and aquaculture, which revealed the weight of fish per species. Also, the share of total fish production used to produce fish meal and fish oil is studied. Through reviewing literature, different perspectives were pointed out and reveal important factors which are relevant for the development of this concept.

The following findings resulted from this thesis. In 2016, 64 to 85 million tonnes of edible fish were consumed globally. The estimated per capita consumption was between 8.6 kg and 11.5 kg annually. The Swiss population consumed roughly one third less compared with the global average. Through the developed concept, the annual estimation of global fish consumption can be estimated for any year. Furthermore, the scope of the term fish can be changed, which allows for investigation of only one or several species. In 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization concluded that at least 10% of total fish production is used for processing fish meal and fish oil, whereas other studies from academic and other bodies claims that around one third is more probable. This great difference is problematic and should be clarified in a future paper. In conclusion of this thesis, alternatives to fish oil are presented and the recommendation of substituting through the use of algae oil is advised.