The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a series of underwater plateaus south-east of the island of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. The Grand Banks are one of the world's richest fishing grounds, supporting swordfish, haddock and capelin, as well as shellfish, seabirds and sea mammals. Overfishing in the late 20th century caused the collapse of several species, particularly Atlantic cod, leading to the indefinite closure of the Canadian Grand Banks fishery in 1992.