Growth Overfishing

Growth overfishing is harvesting fish at an average size smaller than the size that would maximize yield per recruit, so the catch weighs less than it could. It comes from high fishing mortality on young fish combined with gear that selects small individuals, and it lowers economic yield without necessarily threatening reproduction. The fix is to shift the age at first capture upward: larger mesh sizes, minimum landing sizes, and reduced F on juveniles let cohorts grow before capture. It contrasts with recruitment overfishing, which cuts the spawning stock itself and endangers future year-classes.