What is fish discards in Belgium?

Fish discards in Belgium was 12,601 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Belgium?

The highest recorded value was 35,902 in 1956.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Belgium?

The lowest recorded value was 7,320 in 2007.

How does Belgium rank for fish discards?

Belgium ranks 63rd out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Belgium?

Over the last ten years it is up 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Belgium 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 Belgium

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

Belgium: Fish discards was 12,601 in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)

12,601

Change on year

down 12.4%

World rank

63rd

of 161 countries

All-time high

35,902

in 1956

All-time low

7,320

in 2007

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Belgium, 1950–2018

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

Analysis

In 2018, fish discards in Belgium stood at 12,601.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.4% on the previous year and up 36.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Belgium peaked at 35,902 in 1956 and was at its lowest, 7,320, in 2007.

Belgium ranks 63rd of 161 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 69 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	29,796	25,292	35,902	10
1960s	26,539	20,760	31,556	10
1970s	22,106	20,255	24,177	10
1980s	18,624	15,510	21,869	10
1990s	16,708	11,598	20,926	10
2000s	10,155	7,320	12,993	10
2010s	12,843	8,379	16,614	9

Countries ranked near Belgium

60 Greece 13,602 compare
61 Tunisia 13,100 compare
62 Curacao 12,625 compare
64 Madagascar 10,135 compare
65 Papua New Guinea 9,496 compare
66 Nicaragua 9,062 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Belgium

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 5.30 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 0.7% (2025)
Rural population 1.47 million (2025)
Rural population growth 0.2% (2025)
Rural population 12.3% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.7% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 0.7% (2025)
Land under cereal production 324,650 hectares (2023)

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Belgium?: Fish discards in Belgium was 12,601 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Belgium?: The highest recorded value was 35,902 in 1956.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Belgium?: The lowest recorded value was 7,320 in 2007.
How does Belgium rank for fish discards?: Belgium ranks 63rd out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Belgium?: Over the last ten years it is up 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium 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.