Fish discards in Canada
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
69
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.
Fish discards in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 114,596 | — |
| 1951 | 154,741 | +35.0% |
| 1952 | 197,935 | +27.9% |
| 1953 | 220,448 | +11.4% |
| 1954 | 379,545 | +72.2% |
| 1955 | 421,030 | +10.9% |
| 1956 | 547,753 | +30.1% |
| 1957 | 581,023 | +6.1% |
| 1958 | 525,593 | -9.5% |
| 1959 | 647,834 | +23.3% |
| 1960 | 701,021 | +8.2% |
| 1961 | 721,954 | +3.0% |
| 1962 | 780,363 | +8.1% |
| 1963 | 798,880 | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 744,751 | -6.8% |
| 1965 | 746,495 | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 769,860 | +3.1% |
| 1967 | 694,603 | -9.8% |
| 1968 | 720,293 | +3.7% |
| 1969 | 639,733 | -11.2% |
| 1970 | 565,570 | -11.6% |
| 1971 | 510,688 | -9.7% |
| 1972 | 431,297 | -15.5% |
| 1973 | 415,265 | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 294,395 | -29.1% |
| 1975 | 278,650 | -5.3% |
| 1976 | 274,533 | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 262,971 | -4.2% |
| 1978 | 197,533 | -24.9% |
| 1979 | 245,347 | +24.2% |
| 1980 | 160,647 | -34.5% |
| 1981 | 63,663 | -60.4% |
| 1982 | 73,654 | +15.7% |
| 1983 | 47,491 | -35.5% |
| 1984 | 41,160 | -13.3% |
| 1985 | 46,700 | +13.5% |
| 1986 | 53,130 | +13.8% |
| 1987 | 62,912 | +18.4% |
| 1988 | 73,071 | +16.1% |
| 1989 | 75,246 | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 76,562 | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 75,057 | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 108,156 | +44.1% |
| 1993 | 77,084 | -28.7% |
| 1994 | 61,163 | -20.7% |
| 1995 | 51,892 | -15.2% |
| 1996 | 44,835 | -13.6% |
| 1997 | 44,938 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 39,144 | -12.9% |
| 1999 | 41,451 | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 48,139 | +16.1% |
| 2001 | 53,616 | +11.4% |
| 2002 | 50,116 | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 50,257 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 52,689 | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 46,315 | -12.1% |
| 2006 | 45,584 | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 45,443 | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 44,598 | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 47,458 | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 36,618 | -22.8% |
| 2011 | 50,073 | +36.7% |
| 2012 | 47,539 | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 49,824 | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 43,479 | -12.7% |
| 2015 | 43,254 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 31,568 | -27.0% |
| 2017 | 58,843 | +86.4% |
| 2018 | 67,972 | +15.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 67,972 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,028, 8.5× the median. (61 countries reporting)
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
More agriculture & rural data for Canada
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 31.61 % change on previous year (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,092 current US$ per person (2022)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.0803 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1712 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.9% (2022)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.9% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
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
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.