fishery

IPA/ˈfɪʃəri/
KK[fˈɪʃɚi]IPA/ˈfɪʃəri/

fishery — noun

  • fisherysingular
  • fisheriesplural

1. a place in the ocean, a river, or a lake where people catch large quantities of

1.nounB2
Definition

a place in the ocean, a river, or a lake where people catch large quantities of fish to sell as a business

Example

The cold waters off the coast of Iceland support one of the world's richest fisheries.

collocation: rich fishery / support a fishery

The government closed the salmon fishery along the Fraser River to protect the declining fish population.

collocation: close a fishery + reason

Common collocations
  • rich fishery / productive fishery
  • salmon fishery / cod fishery / herring fishery / tuna fishery
  • commercial fishery
  • coastal fishery / deep-sea fishery / freshwater fishery
  • close a fishery
  • open a fishery
  • regulate a fishery
  • manage a fishery
  • fishery resources
  • fishery management
Synonyms
  • fishing ground

    More specific to the physical location in the water; often used in nautical contexts ('rich fishing grounds off Newfoundland')

  • fishing area

    Broader and less technical; can describe any water body where fishing happens, not necessarily commercial ('a popular fishing area for tourists')

  • fishing waters

    Emphasises the water itself rather than the business operation; often used in legal or regulatory language ('territorial fishing waters')

Grammar Patterns

adjective + fishery

fishery + verb

in/off + [place name] + fishery

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form (fisheries) even when referring to a single large area. A fishery is defined by the location and the fish species being caught together, so 'the cod fisheries of the North Atlantic' refers to several distinct fishing grounds.

Common Mistakes

The local fishery caught many fish yesterday.
The local fishery produced a large catch yesterday.
'Fishery' refers to the area or business, not the people catching fish. Use 'fishermen' or 'fishing boats' for the people doing the catching.
I went to the fishery to buy fresh fish.
I went to the fish market to buy fresh fish.
'Fishery' is the water area where fish are caught, not the shop where fish are sold.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Fishery' and 'fishing ground' both describe a location where fish are caught commercially, but 'fishing ground' is more concrete and nautical — it suggests a specific mapped spot (e.g. 'the Grand Banks fishing grounds'). 'Fishing area' is the broadest term: it can refer to a small lake where one person fishes for sport or a huge offshore zone used by commercial fleets. 'Fishing waters' emphasises jurisdiction or territory — it is the word you see in laws and treaties ('the two countries argued over fishing waters'). In everyday use, 'fishery' is the standard word for a managed commercial fishing location, including the business and regulatory system around it. For example: 'The coastal town depends on its tuna fishery.' But you would say 'This lake is a great fishing area for beginners' — here 'fishery' would sound too formal.

fishing groundfishing areafishing waters

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fishery resources
  • fishery management
  • fishery policy
  • fishery industry

Phrases

  • close a fishery
  • open a fishery
  • regulate a fishery
  • manage a fishery

Prepositions

  • in a fishery
  • off the coast + fishery
  • along the river + fishery

Etymology

Old EnglishFrenchEnglish

The word 'fishery' was formed in the 1500s by joining 'fish' (from Old English 'fisc', a word shared by many Germanic languages) with the suffix '-ery'. The '-ery' ending came into English from Old French '-erie' and is used to name a place where an activity takes place or a business connected with that activity — just like 'bakery' (where bread is baked) or 'brewery' (where beer is made). So 'fishery' literally means 'the place where fishing is done as an organised business.'