Reference Terms
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Overfishing
Overfishing is a situation where one or more fish stocks are reduced below predefined levels of acceptance by fishing activities. More precise definitions are provided in biology and bioeconomics. Biological overfishing occurs when fishing mortality has reached a level where the stock biomass has negative marginal growth (slowing down biomass growth). Ultimately overfishing may lead to depletion in cases of subsidised fishing, low biological growth rates and critical low biomass levels.
The ability for nature to restore the fisheries is also dependent on whether the ecosystems are still in a state to allow fish numbers to build again. Dramatic changes in species composition may establish other equilibrium energy flows which involve other species compositions than before (ecosystem shift).
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July 19, 2026
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