2
I. Karunasagar
0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
T
o
n
n
e
s
Year
Capture
Aquaculture
Total
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Fig. 1.1 Global production of bivalve molluscs during the decade 2000–2010 (FAO 2012a)
Clams, cockles,
ark shells
38%
Mussels
14%
Oysters
35%
Scallops,
pectens
13%
Fig. 1.2 Contribution of
various species for bivalve
aquaculture production
(FAO 2012a)
and 80 % of the global bivalve mollusc aquaculture production. All of the Chinese
bivalve production is cultured. Chinese bivalve mollusc production has steeply
increased during the last 30 years, from a mere 178,000 tonnes in 1970. The
increase was particularly strong in the 1990s, with an average growth rate of 17.6 %
per year. Other major bivalve producers in 2010 were Japan (819,131 tonnes),
the USA (676,755 tonnes), the Republic of Korea (418,608 tonnes), Thailand
(285,625 tonnes), France (216,811 tonnes) and Spain (206,003 tonnes).
By species, the bivalve mollusc production from aquaculture in 2010 consisted
of 38.0 % clams, cockles and ark shells, 35.0 % oysters, 14.0 % mussels and 13.0 %
scallops and pectens (Fig. 1.2), with an impressive growth in the production of
oysters, clams, cockles and ark shells since the early 1990s.