However, where there are early examples of permanent settlements (though not necessarily permanently occupied) such as those at Lepenski Vir, they are almost always associated with fishing as a major source of food. People could have developed basketry for fish traps, and spinning and early forms of knitting in order to make fishing nets to be able to catch more fish in larger quantities.ĭuring this period, most people lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and were, of necessity, constantly on the move. Neanderthals were fishing by about 200,000 BC. Fishing in Africa is evident very early on in human history. Archaeology features such as shell middens, discarded fish bones, and cave paintings show that sea foods were important for survival and consumed in significant quantities. Isotopic analysis of the remains of Tianyuan man, a 40,000-year-old modern human from eastern Asia, has shown that he regularly consumed freshwater fish. Main articles: History of fishing and History of seafoodįishing is an ancient practice that dates back to at least the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic period about 40,000 years ago. In 2005, the worldwide per capita consumption of fish captured from wild fisheries was 14.4 kilograms (32 lb), with an additional 7.4 kilograms (16 lb) harvested from fish farms. Fisheries and aquaculture provide direct and indirect employment to over 500 million people in developing countries. When bioblitzes occur, fish are typically caught, identified, and then released.Īccording to the United Nations FAO statistics, the total number of commercial fishers and fish farmers is estimated to be 38 million. Fishing tournaments are held, and caught fish are sometimes kept as preserved or living trophies. In addition to being caught to be eaten, fish are caught as recreational pastimes. The term is not normally applied to catching farmed fish, or to aquatic mammals, such as whales where the term whaling is more appropriate. 'Fishing' may include catching aquatic animals other than fish, such as molluscs, cephalopods, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping. Fish are often caught in the wild but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water. Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish.

Rigs of rods bus download