What is happening?

Fishing is one of the most popular pastime in coastal tourist attractions. Especially in the Mediterranean, the volume of fish taken out by recreational fishing may be greater than that of commercial and mass fishing.

In the mid-20th century, international efforts to increase the availability and affordability of protein-rich foods led to concerted government efforts to increase fishing capacity. But by 1989, when about 90 million tons (metric tons) of catch were taken from the ocean, the industry had hit its high-water mark, and yields have declined or stagnated ever since. In 2003, a scientific report estimated that industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean fish to just 10 percent of their pre-industrial population.