Why did the cod fish near Newfoundland disappear?

Overfishing, particularly by foreign fishing fleets, was the primary cause of the cod fish decline near Newfoundland. During the 1950s and 1960s, countries like Spain, Portugal, and the Soviet Union engaged in large-scale commercial fishing in the area, using advanced technology and depleting the cod population rapidly. Inadequate fisheries management and regulations contributed to the overexploitation of the cod stocks.