overfish

[ oh-ver-fish ]

verb (used with object)

1. to fish (an area or a marine organism) excessively, or to exhaust the supply of usable fish in (certain waters):

   Scientists are concerned that commercial fishing fleets may overfish our coastal waters.

   A long history of overfishing parrotfish, which help maintain a healthy balance between living coral and plants, has led to significant reef damage.

verb (used without object)

1. to fish so as to deplete the supply of fish in certain waters:

   If the trawlers are going to overfish here, we'll need legislation to restrict their hauls.

Word History and Origins

Origin of overfish¹

First recorded in 1865–70; over- + fish

Example Sentences

Ensconced on the ice, emperor penguins have largely avoided human efforts to hunt them, overfish their prey or encroach on their territory.

From Los Angeles Times

Residents say international trawlers overfish and the small Senegalese boats can't compete.

From Reuters

Scientists estimate that a million plants and animals are at risk of extinction as humans plow and pave over land, overfish the seas and overheat the planet.

From New York Times

Commercial operations overfish mullet stocks across southern Brazil.

From New York Times

“It got people thinking very negatively about sharks, which just made it so much easier to overfish them.”

From Washington Post