Fish discards in Ireland
Ireland: Fish discards was 25,844 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Ireland, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fish discards in Ireland is 25,844, measured in 2018.
That represents a change of down 23.4% on the previous year and down 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Ireland peaked at 83,732 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 1,504, in 1950.
That places Ireland 41st out of 161 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish discards in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,504 | — |
| 1951 | 1,671 | +11.1% |
| 1952 | 2,060 | +23.2% |
| 1953 | 2,168 | +5.3% |
| 1954 | 2,213 | +2.0% |
| 1955 | 2,722 | +23.0% |
| 1956 | 3,245 | +19.2% |
| 1957 | 3,825 | +17.9% |
| 1958 | 3,438 | -10.1% |
| 1959 | 3,636 | +5.8% |
| 1960 | 3,562 | -2.0% |
| 1961 | 3,102 | -12.9% |
| 1962 | 3,367 | +8.5% |
| 1963 | 3,329 | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 4,159 | +24.9% |
| 1965 | 4,076 | -2.0% |
| 1966 | 4,130 | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 4,708 | +14.0% |
| 1968 | 4,910 | +4.3% |
| 1969 | 5,512 | +12.3% |
| 1970 | 5,791 | +5.1% |
| 1971 | 5,770 | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 6,428 | +11.4% |
| 1973 | 7,444 | +15.8% |
| 1974 | 6,713 | -9.8% |
| 1975 | 7,158 | +6.6% |
| 1976 | 7,896 | +10.3% |
| 1977 | 9,525 | +20.6% |
| 1978 | 15,034 | +57.8% |
| 1979 | 9,033 | -39.9% |
| 1980 | 11,778 | +30.4% |
| 1981 | 16,042 | +36.2% |
| 1982 | 15,120 | -5.7% |
| 1983 | 14,427 | -4.6% |
| 1984 | 14,414 | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 15,081 | +4.6% |
| 1986 | 13,954 | -7.5% |
| 1987 | 44,791 | +221.0% |
| 1988 | 60,726 | +35.6% |
| 1989 | 59,622 | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 46,402 | -22.2% |
| 1991 | 47,792 | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 53,128 | +11.2% |
| 1993 | 70,336 | +32.4% |
| 1994 | 59,121 | -15.9% |
| 1995 | 79,739 | +34.9% |
| 1996 | 83,732 | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 79,366 | -5.2% |
| 1998 | 77,279 | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 53,082 | -31.3% |
| 2000 | 51,404 | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 51,632 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 45,740 | -11.4% |
| 2003 | 41,372 | -9.5% |
| 2004 | 39,656 | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 37,229 | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 32,195 | -13.5% |
| 2007 | 38,552 | +19.7% |
| 2008 | 35,175 | -8.8% |
| 2009 | 37,924 | +7.8% |
| 2010 | 41,570 | +9.6% |
| 2011 | 24,566 | -40.9% |
| 2012 | 18,179 | -26.0% |
| 2013 | 15,610 | -14.1% |
| 2014 | 17,962 | +15.1% |
| 2015 | 28,879 | +60.8% |
| 2016 | 35,590 | +23.2% |
| 2017 | 33,719 | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 25,844 | -23.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 25,844 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,028, 3.2× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 25,844 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15,212, 1.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +221.0% | 13,954 | 44,791 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,648 | 1,504 | 3,825 | 10 |
| 1960s | 4,086 | 3,102 | 5,512 | 10 |
| 1970s | 8,079 | 5,770 | 15,034 | 10 |
| 1980s | 26,596 | 11,778 | 60,726 | 10 |
| 1990s | 64,998 | 46,402 | 83,732 | 10 |
| 2000s | 41,088 | 32,195 | 51,632 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26,880 | 15,610 | 41,570 | 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 fish discards in Ireland?
- Fish discards in Ireland was 25,844 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 83,732 in 1996.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,504 in 1950.
- How does Ireland rank for fish discards?
- Ireland ranks 41st out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.5%. 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 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.