The practice of catching fish faster than they can reproduce, leading to population decline and potential collapse. Overfishing threatens marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of fishing communities worldwide.
Compound word from 'over-' (excessive) and 'fishing' from Old English 'fiscian'. The term gained prominence in the mid-20th century as industrial fishing methods began depleting fish stocks globally.
Overfishing has eliminated 90% of large predatory fish from the oceans since 1950, fundamentally altering marine food webs! The collapse of cod fisheries off Newfoundland in the 1990s put 40,000 people out of work and the ecosystem still hasn't recovered decades later.
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