In contrast to world wild-capture fisheries production, which has essentially plateaued since the mid-1980s, aquaculture practices continue to expand globally. In addition to fish production, aquaculture produces considerable quantities of aquatic plants. World aquaculture production of fish and plants combined reached 114.5 million tons in live weight in 2019, for an estimated total value of $263.6 billion. Many other countries invest heavily in aquaculture to feed their growing populations and export seafood to other nations including the United States.

According to the 2019 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report on The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, the United States ranks 17th in total aquaculture production behind China, Indonesia, India, Viet Nam, Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Egypt, Norway, Chile, Myanmar, Japan, Thailand, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Brazil, and Ecuador.