Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland
Ireland: Wild fish catch by gear type was 15,261 tonnes in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
15,261 tonnes
Change on year
up 154.3%
World rank
64th
of 111 countries
All-time high
120,386 tonnes
in 1982
All-time low
2,966 tonnes
in 1951
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 15,261 tonnes for wild fish catch by gear type in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 154.3% on the previous year and down 45.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland peaked at 120,386 tonnes in 1982 and was at its lowest, 2,966 tonnes, in 1951.
Ireland ranks 64th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3,402 tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 2,966 tonnes | -12.8% |
| 1952 | 3,373 tonnes | +13.7% |
| 1953 | 3,827 tonnes | +13.5% |
| 1954 | 5,491 tonnes | +43.5% |
| 1955 | 3,650 tonnes | -33.5% |
| 1956 | 4,142 tonnes | +13.5% |
| 1957 | 5,024 tonnes | +21.3% |
| 1958 | 4,798 tonnes | -4.5% |
| 1959 | 4,686 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1960 | 4,034 tonnes | -13.9% |
| 1961 | 4,573 tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1962 | 4,849 tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1963 | 5,204 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1964 | 6,818 tonnes | +31.0% |
| 1965 | 7,990 tonnes | +17.2% |
| 1966 | 9,406 tonnes | +17.7% |
| 1967 | 11,947 tonnes | +27.0% |
| 1968 | 13,486 tonnes | +12.9% |
| 1969 | 18,261 tonnes | +35.4% |
| 1970 | 24,519 tonnes | +34.3% |
| 1971 | 20,959 tonnes | -14.5% |
| 1972 | 24,905 tonnes | +18.8% |
| 1973 | 23,463 tonnes | -5.8% |
| 1974 | 20,942 tonnes | -10.7% |
| 1975 | 23,830 tonnes | +13.8% |
| 1976 | 26,614 tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1977 | 23,871 tonnes | -10.3% |
| 1978 | 27,796 tonnes | +16.4% |
| 1979 | 17,525 tonnes | -36.9% |
| 1980 | 18,189 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 21,337 tonnes | +17.3% |
| 1982 | 120,386 tonnes | +464.2% |
| 1983 | 24,394 tonnes | -79.7% |
| 1984 | 26,113 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1985 | 29,944 tonnes | +14.7% |
| 1986 | 23,755 tonnes | -20.7% |
| 1987 | 48,568 tonnes | +104.5% |
| 1988 | 48,718 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 46,873 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1990 | 28,514 tonnes | -39.2% |
| 1991 | 28,994 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 36,803 tonnes | +26.9% |
| 1993 | 41,226 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 1994 | 48,317 tonnes | +17.2% |
| 1995 | 63,536 tonnes | +31.5% |
| 1996 | 67,463 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 69,666 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 70,933 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 55,128 tonnes | -22.3% |
| 2000 | 52,632 tonnes | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 50,952 tonnes | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 45,300 tonnes | -11.1% |
| 2003 | 39,454 tonnes | -12.9% |
| 2004 | 35,767 tonnes | -9.3% |
| 2005 | 33,183 tonnes | -7.2% |
| 2006 | 30,214 tonnes | -8.9% |
| 2007 | 34,247 tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2008 | 28,211 tonnes | -17.6% |
| 2009 | 30,998 tonnes | +9.9% |
| 2010 | 34,679 tonnes | +11.9% |
| 2011 | 42,615 tonnes | +22.9% |
| 2012 | 64,416 tonnes | +51.2% |
| 2013 | 51,902 tonnes | -19.4% |
| 2014 | 36,274 tonnes | -30.1% |
| 2015 | 5,710 tonnes | -84.3% |
| 2016 | 6,403 tonnes | +12.1% |
| 2017 | 6,000 tonnes | -6.3% |
| 2018 | 15,261 tonnes | +154.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 15,261 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 47,385 tonnes, 32% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 15,261 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54,562 tonnes, 28% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wild fish catch by gear type 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | +464.2% | 21,337 tonnes | 120,386 tonnes |
| 2018 | +154.3% | 6,000 tonnes | 15,261 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4,136 tonnes | 2,966 tonnes | 5,491 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 8,657 tonnes | 4,034 tonnes | 18,261 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 23,442 tonnes | 17,525 tonnes | 27,796 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 40,828 tonnes | 18,189 tonnes | 120,386 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 51,058 tonnes | 28,514 tonnes | 70,933 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 38,096 tonnes | 28,211 tonnes | 52,632 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 29,251 tonnes | 5,710 tonnes | 64,416 tonnes | 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 wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland?
- Wild fish catch by gear type in Ireland was 15,261 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 120,386 tonnes in 1982.
- What is the lowest wild fish catch by gear type recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,966 tonnes in 1951.
- How does Ireland rank for wild fish catch by gear type?
- Ireland ranks 64th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is wild fish catch by gear type rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.9%. 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 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).