Yep, I'm cruising now with this little tidbit. This is something that should probably be corrected, since it's actually a deterrent to being in the game (which certainly can't be the desired effect).

Just the same, now I've got 5K+ food (and growing) with only ONE villager fishing. My pop is up to 25, although Kato (the original do-all, thanks to a monkey/island event) has finally passed away at 70something.

Once I finish this game, I'll probably go back to see how perfectly I can "sprint" to Farming 3 and finish the game on cruise control.

-Matt