What happens if we fish too much of the ocean’s food supply? Watch the full episode.

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Instead of managing fish species independently, scientists and policy makers are increasingly trying to manage ecosystems as connected systems. That means leaving enough forage fish in the water for those predators, not just to sustain individual fisheries. Some fisheries are beginning to adopt a precautionary approach. So, catch limits may be lowered when predator populations struggle. Managers may close fisheries seasonally during sensitive feeding periods. And researchers are improving ecosystem models to better predict ripple effects. But this is still a difficult balance to act because forage fish fisheries support jobs and industries, too. That means policy makers face competing pressures between economic interests and ecosystem health.