Wild fish catch by gear type in Australia
Australia: Wild fish catch by gear type was 36,429 tonnes in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Wild fish catch by gear type in Australia, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for wild fish catch by gear type in Australia is 36,429 tonnes, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in Australia peaked at 189,783 tonnes in 1989 and was at its lowest, 15,411 tonnes, in 1950.
That places Australia 54th out of 111 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 | 21,181 tonnes | 15,411 tonnes | 27,554 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 38,146 tonnes | 27,508 tonnes | 57,242 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 116,314 tonnes | 72,425 tonnes | 148,233 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 160,685 tonnes | 107,571 tonnes | 189,783 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 148,030 tonnes | 133,994 tonnes | 173,743 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 77,546 tonnes | 49,644 tonnes | 132,662 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 40,014 tonnes | 36,252 tonnes | 46,958 tonnes | 9 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 40.76 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.3% (2025)
- Rural population 3.39 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 12.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 19.46 million hectares (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wild fish catch by gear type in Australia?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in Australia was 36,429 tonnes in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 189,783 tonnes in 1989.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,411 tonnes in 1950.
- How does Australia rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- Australia ranks 54th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Wild fish catch by gear type. 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).