Cod Overfishing (20th Century)
“You could walk across the Atlantic on cod backs,” went the saying before industrial fishing destroyed populations. The abundance encouraged larger boats with more efficient nets. Scientists warned about declining stocks but were ignored. The 1992 collapse forced Canada to close the 500-year-old Newfoundland fishery overnight. Tens of thousands lost their livelihoods. Decades later, cod populations still haven’t recovered from this cautionary tale of resource mismanagement.
