Independent lifeboat services in Britain and Ireland began to be established around the coasts towards the end of the 18th century in response to the loss of life at sea. More recently, independent services have been set up in response to the increasing popularity of coastal and river sport and leisure activities. There are at least 80 (see tables below) and as many as 100 independent lifeboat services operating throughout Britain and Ireland, both on coasts and inland waterways. This means that around a quarter of the UK and Ireland's lifeboat services are non RNLI.