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 regions 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.

Fish discards in Ireland

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

Ireland: Fish discards was 25,844 in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)

25,844

Change on year

down 23.4%

Rank

41st

of 161 regions

All-time high

83,732

in 1996

All-time low

1,504

in 1950

Years of data

1950–2018

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 regions 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.

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

38 Greenland 27,320 compare
39 Belize 26,410 compare
40 Poland 26,333 compare
42 Denmark 25,389 compare
43 Mozambique 25,178 compare
44 Egypt 24,067 compare

See the full ranking of 161 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Ireland

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 7.63 billion current US$ (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.1% (2025)
Rural population 1.94 million (2025)
Rural population growth 1.0% (2025)
Rural population 35.4% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.1% (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 1.1% (2025)
Land under cereal production 258,930 hectares (2024)

All data for Ireland →

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 regions 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

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.