overfished

American  

[oh-ver-fisht] / ˌoʊ vərˈfɪʃt /

adjective

1. (of a body of water) having its supply of fish or other marine life severely depleted by fishing.

2. (of a type of fish or other marine animal) severely reduced in numbers by fishing.

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Example Sentences

The toothless bottom-feeder, which looks like a prehistoric catfish and can weigh over 200 pounds, has been overfished globally.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

For instance, one major US seafood trade association has called for a tariff exemption, highlighting that the US seafood market is dominated by imports and American waters are already overfished.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

With near-shore stocks overfished in Thailand and Sri Lanka, vessel owners send their crews farther and farther from shore in search of a worthwhile catch.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

Thanks to the science-based regulatory framework provided by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we've been able to recover our overfished stocks and are now global leaders in wild fisheries management.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2024

A New Fly.—" ... an altogether original fly, unheard of, startling, will often do great execution in an overfished pool."—Henry van Dyke.

From The Determined Angler and the Brook Trout an anthological volume of trout fishing, trout histories, trout lore, trout resorts, and trout tackle by Bradford, Charles Barker