Overfishing is a topic in fisheries science and marine ecology referring to the exploitation of fish stocks at rates exceeding their capacity to replenish through recruitment and growth, thereby reducing biomass below biologically sustainable thresholds. It is quantitatively assessed using reference points such as maximum sustainable yield (MSY), fishing mortality (F), and spawning stock biomass (SSB), with overfishing indicated when F exceeds target or limit reference points or when SSB falls below critical levels. Overfishing alters age and size structure, disrupts trophic interactions, diminishes genetic diversity, and compromises ecosystem resilience, with management responses involving harvest control rules, catch limits, effort restrictions, and spatial or temporal closures.
A new report from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) warns that biodiversity loss, alongside climate shocks and geopolitical conflict, is disrupting our food system, risking catastrophic ...
Environment
Apr 30, 2026
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The first study to measure the full economic value of bottom trawling in Europe's waters calculates that the destructive fishing practice imposes up to €16 billion annually in net costs to society. The research is published ...
Environment
Apr 28, 2026
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A new analysis has revealed a global decline in fish growth over the last century, with scientists warning that overfishing and environmental change are eroding the biological foundations of many fisheries. Helen Yan led ...
Ecology
Apr 25, 2026
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The Gulf Coast is recognized worldwide for its exceptional fishing opportunities, offering anglers a wide variety of species such as trout, red snapper, and grouper. Recreational fishing represents a significant—yet historically ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 16, 2026
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On a calm summer's morning in southern Australia, the water can look deceptively clear, until you see thousands of gelatinous shapes washing ashore. In January, thousands of pink lion's mane jellyfish washed into Port Phillip ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 8, 2026
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More than 3,000 fish species have been caught in bottom trawls, with estimates suggesting the true number could be nearly double, according to the world's first global inventory.
Ecology
Apr 8, 2026
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For over half a century, people in Central Africa have told tales of the fish seen climbing waterfalls, but these claims have never been officially confirmed. Now, these fish have finally been caught on camera, studied more ...
When it comes to fishing, reeling in the biggest one is often the goal. But as it turns out, leaving the largest and oldest fish in the water can help entire fish populations cope better with ocean warming—and the benefits ...
Ecology
Mar 25, 2026
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Hidden beneath the surface of the world's rivers, some of Earth's great animal movements unfold—migrations that rival, in sheer biomass, the famous mass movements of zebra and wildebeest across the Serengeti.
Ecology
Mar 25, 2026
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Some of the longest, most important migrations of species on Earth are happening beneath the surface of the world's rivers and many are rapidly collapsing, according to a major new assessment by the Convention on the Conservation ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 24, 2026
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