Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland
Ireland: Wild fish catch by gear type was 87,833 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland stood at 87,833.
The figure is down 42.1% on the previous year and up 1,129.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland peaked at 163,011 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1,323, in 1950.
Ireland ranks 17th of 123 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,323 | — |
| 1951 | 1,568 | +18.6% |
| 1952 | 1,660 | +5.9% |
| 1953 | 1,830 | +10.2% |
| 1954 | 2,020 | +10.4% |
| 1955 | 2,011 | -0.5% |
| 1956 | 2,424 | +20.6% |
| 1957 | 2,765 | +14.1% |
| 1958 | 2,476 | -10.5% |
| 1959 | 2,657 | +7.3% |
| 1960 | 2,458 | -7.5% |
| 1961 | 2,196 | -10.6% |
| 1962 | 2,358 | +7.4% |
| 1963 | 2,117 | -10.2% |
| 1964 | 3,217 | +51.9% |
| 1965 | 2,968 | -7.7% |
| 1966 | 2,854 | -3.8% |
| 1967 | 3,076 | +7.8% |
| 1968 | 3,190 | +3.7% |
| 1969 | 3,473 | +8.9% |
| 1970 | 3,209 | -7.6% |
| 1971 | 4,314 | +34.4% |
| 1972 | 3,100 | -28.1% |
| 1973 | 2,888 | -6.8% |
| 1974 | 4,071 | +40.9% |
| 1975 | 4,664 | +14.6% |
| 1976 | 4,306 | -7.7% |
| 1977 | 3,717 | -13.7% |
| 1978 | 3,972 | +6.9% |
| 1979 | 3,329 | -16.2% |
| 1980 | 6,030 | +81.1% |
| 1981 | 6,515 | +8.1% |
| 1982 | 5,940 | -8.8% |
| 1983 | 5,987 | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 7,178 | +19.9% |
| 1985 | 7,610 | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 7,408 | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 8,239 | +11.2% |
| 1988 | 8,772 | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 9,204 | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 8,295 | -9.9% |
| 1991 | 8,092 | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 9,280 | +14.7% |
| 1993 | 14,030 | +51.2% |
| 1994 | 8,855 | -36.9% |
| 1995 | 15,796 | +78.4% |
| 1996 | 11,879 | -24.8% |
| 1997 | 12,083 | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 12,924 | +7.0% |
| 1999 | 12,470 | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 10,174 | -18.4% |
| 2001 | 15,507 | +52.4% |
| 2002 | 17,212 | +11.0% |
| 2003 | 13,736 | -20.2% |
| 2004 | 13,894 | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 12,896 | -7.2% |
| 2006 | 8,696 | -32.6% |
| 2007 | 8,421 | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 7,142 | -15.2% |
| 2009 | 8,332 | +16.7% |
| 2010 | 8,950 | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 22,592 | +152.4% |
| 2012 | 40,381 | +78.7% |
| 2013 | 44,431 | +10.0% |
| 2014 | 41,644 | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 163,011 | +291.4% |
| 2016 | 155,854 | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 151,782 | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 87,833 | -42.1% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 87,833 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5,878, 14.9× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 87,833 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 13,209, 6.6× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +291.4% | 41,644 | 163,011 |
| 2011 | +152.4% | 8,950 | 22,592 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,074 | 1,323 | 2,765 | 10 |
| 1960s | 2,791 | 2,117 | 3,473 | 10 |
| 1970s | 3,757 | 2,888 | 4,664 | 10 |
| 1980s | 7,288 | 5,940 | 9,204 | 10 |
| 1990s | 11,370 | 8,092 | 15,796 | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,601 | 7,142 | 17,212 | 10 |
| 2010s | 79,609 | 8,950 | 163,011 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More agriculture & rural data for Ireland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 22.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0106 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,391 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.9559 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3541 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland was 87,833 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 163,011 in 2015.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,323 in 1950.
- How does Ireland rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- Ireland ranks 17th out of 123 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,129.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Wild fish catch by gear type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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