What is fish discards in Canada?

Fish discards in Canada was 67,972 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest fish discards recorded in Canada?

The highest recorded value was 798,880 in 1963.

What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Canada?

The lowest recorded value was 31,568 in 2016.

How does Canada rank for fish discards?

Canada ranks 23rd out of 161 countries with data for 2018.

Is fish discards rising or falling in Canada?

Over the last ten years it is up 52.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Canada 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 Canada

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

Canada: Fish discards was 67,972 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

67,972

Change on year

up 15.5%

World rank

23rd

of 161 countries

All-time high

798,880

in 1963

All-time low

31,568

in 2016

Years of data

1950–2018

Fish discards in Canada, 1950–2018

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

Analysis

Canada recorded 67,972 for fish discards in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.5% on the previous year and up 52.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fish discards in Canada peaked at 798,880 in 1963 and was at its lowest, 31,568, in 2016.

Canada ranks 23rd of 161 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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	379,050	114,596	647,834	10
1960s	731,795	639,733	798,880	10
1970s	347,625	197,533	565,570	10
1980s	69,768	41,160	160,647	10
1990s	62,028	39,144	108,156	10
2000s	48,422	44,598	53,616	10
2010s	47,686	31,568	67,972	9

Countries ranked near Canada

20 Argentina 77,582 compare
21 Senegal 72,692 compare
22 Netherlands 71,944 compare
24 New Zealand 58,655 compare
25 Bangladesh 55,883 compare
26 Hong Kong 54,050 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Canada

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 42.53 billion current US$ (2022)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.9% (2022)
Rural population 7.13 million (2025)
Rural population growth -0.1% (2025)
Rural population 17.1% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.9% (2022)
Share of GDP from agriculture 1.9% (2022)
Land under cereal production 16.03 million hectares (2023)

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is fish discards in Canada?: Fish discards in Canada was 67,972 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fish discards recorded in Canada?: The highest recorded value was 798,880 in 1963.
What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Canada?: The lowest recorded value was 31,568 in 2016.
How does Canada rank for fish discards?: Canada ranks 23rd out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
Is fish discards rising or falling in Canada?: Over the last ten years it is up 52.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada 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.