Fish discards in Tonga
Tonga: Fish discards was 3.54 in 2009. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Tonga, 1982–2009
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fish discards in Tonga is 3.54, measured in 2009. That is the lowest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is down 95.4% on the previous year and down 98.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Tonga peaked at 397.97 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 3.54, in 2009.
Tonga ranks 151st of 161 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish discards in Tonga, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 11.48 | — |
| 1983 | 12.44 | +8.3% |
| 1984 | 13.33 | +7.2% |
| 1985 | 15.53 | +16.5% |
| 1986 | 16.66 | +7.3% |
| 1987 | 102.74 | +516.6% |
| 1988 | 93.23 | -9.3% |
| 1989 | 14.5 | -84.4% |
| 1990 | 11.25 | -22.4% |
| 1991 | 12.97 | +15.3% |
| 1992 | 16.32 | +25.8% |
| 1993 | 22.81 | +39.8% |
| 1994 | 116.16 | +409.3% |
| 1995 | 107.86 | -7.2% |
| 1996 | 108.9 | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 220.84 | +102.8% |
| 1998 | 241.33 | +9.3% |
| 1999 | 271.54 | +12.5% |
| 2000 | 259.44 | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 397.97 | +53.4% |
| 2002 | 392.36 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 257.56 | -34.4% |
| 2004 | 8.15 | -96.8% |
| 2005 | 86.49 | +961.4% |
| 2006 | 85.29 | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 161.43 | +89.3% |
| 2008 | 77.49 | -52.0% |
| 2009 | 3.54 | -95.4% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 3.54 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,034, 0% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 3.54 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5,675, 0% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in Tonga 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +961.4% | 8.15 | 86.49 |
| 1987 | +516.6% | 16.66 | 102.74 |
| 1994 | +409.3% | 22.81 | 116.16 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 34.99 | 11.48 | 102.74 | 8 |
| 1990s | 113 | 11.25 | 271.54 | 10 |
| 2000s | 172.97 | 3.54 | 397.97 | 10 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 148 Cayman Islands 6.25 compare
- 149 Puerto Rico 5.89 compare
- 150 Jordan 4.6 compare
- 152 Aruba 2.96 compare
- 153 British Virgin Islands 1.42 compare
- 154 Togo 1.21 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Tonga
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1857 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,154 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4224 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7884 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 18.6% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 18.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.7% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in Tonga?
- Fish discards in Tonga was 3.54 in 2009, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 397.97 in 2001.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.54 in 2009.
- How does Tonga rank for fish discards?
- Tonga ranks 151st out of 161 countries with data for 2009.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 98.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tonga 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 — 28 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.