fishery

noun

fish·​ery ˈfi-shə-rē 

plural fisheries

1

: the occupation, industry, or season of taking fish or other sea animals (such as sponges, shrimp, or seals) : fishing

2

: a place for catching fish or taking other sea animals

3

: a fishing establishment

also : its fishermen

4

: the legal right to take fish at a particular place or in particular waters

5

: the technology of fishery

—usually used in plural

Examples of fishery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Evidence of fossilized oysters has been found on every major land mass, and there is evidence of Indigenous oyster fisheries in North America and Australia that date to the Holocene period, about 10,000 years ago. —Garritt C. Van Dyk, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025

But anglers who fish the river fear what could happen to their vaunted trout fishery once its gate opens. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2025

In fisheries, the deal means European fishing boats will have access to U.K. waters until 2038. —Sylvia Hui, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025

Its salmon runs are declining in some places, and its fisheries aren’t immune to problems or closures, but in terms of sheer salmon abundance, nowhere else in this country comes close. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fishery

noun

fish·​ery ˈfish-(ə-)rē 

plural fisheries

1

: the activity or business of fishing

2

: a place or establishment for catching fish