The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department is pleased to present World aquaculture 2010. Six regional reviews and the resulting global synthesis, which provided the basis for this document, involved many people, including fish farmers, service providers, policy-makers, scientists, researchers, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organization workers. This rigorous consultative review process has thus shaped this document. If key information is lacking or inadequate for some topics, this is not a shortcoming on the part of the review process, rather this information is simply unavailable; its absence has, in fact, been pointed out in the regional reviews as opportunities for future assessments and information development. This is the second in the series, the first having been published in 2006, using a similar consultative review process. This process of global cooperation in the review of aquaculture status and trends, led by FAO, will probably have as much impact on the direction and speed of aquaculture development as the other trends revealed by the review, and alongside other desirable trends, it will be fostered and sustained.