What is fish discards in Australia?

Fish discards in Australia was 21,571 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Australia?

The highest recorded value was 144,782 in 1991.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Australia?

The lowest recorded value was 8,428 in 1950.

How does Australia rank for fish discards?

Australia ranks 48th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Australia?

Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Australia data come from?

The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fish discards. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Fish discards in Australia

Name: Fish discards in Australia
Creator: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Australia: Fish discards was 21,571 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

21,571

Change on year

down 1.0%

World rank

48th

of 161 countries

All-time high

144,782

in 1991

All-time low

8,428

in 1950

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Australia, 1950–2018

Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for fish discards in Australia is 21,571, measured in 2018.

That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Australia peaked at 144,782 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 8,428, in 1950.

Australia ranks 48th of 161 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	13,298	8,428	18,558	10
1960s	26,449	17,664	43,300	10
1970s	91,124	54,560	112,000	10
1980s	115,690	68,404	140,935	10
1990s	120,210	101,794	144,782	10
2000s	46,605	22,698	109,138	10
2010s	21,438	18,518	23,651	9

Countries ranked near Australia

45 Saint Kitts and Nevis 23,560 compare
46 Germany 22,291 compare
47 Namibia 21,602 compare
49 Georgia 21,511 compare
50 Costa Rica 20,647 compare
51 Panama 20,033 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Australia

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 40.76 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.3% (2025)
Rural population 3.39 million (2025)
Rural population growth 0.6% (2025)
Rural population 12.3% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
Land under cereal production 19.46 million hectares (2024)

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Australia?: Fish discards in Australia was 21,571 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Australia?: The highest recorded value was 144,782 in 1991.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Australia?: The lowest recorded value was 8,428 in 1950.
How does Australia rank for fish discards?: Australia ranks 48th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Australia?: Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia data come from?: The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fish discards. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Fish discards
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 161 places, 9,371 data points, 1950–2018
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Discards are animals thrown back (alive or dead) into the sea after being caught during fishing activities. This represents bycatch (fish caught unintentionally) that is not brought ashore for use.