Causes in coastal and open seas
The ocean's resources were long considered inexhaustible. For a long time, it was seen as unthinkable that humans could affect fish stocks. During the industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries, ever larger areas became available for fishing, while the efficiency and scale gradually increased. Together with eutrophication, habitat destruction, a warmer climate and possibly environmental toxins, this affects the fish negatively today. During the 19th and 20th centuries, fishing was largely free, which enabled an unlimited take of fish and shellfish. During the 20th century, it became difficult to ignore the negative effects of fishing on stocks. Restrictions in fishing were gradually introduced through so-called quotas. However, in negotiations between countries about quotas, little consideration was often given to biological knowledge , which resulted in the quotas being set far above what the fish stocks could withstand in the ...