"pertaining to fishing," 1854, from Latin halieuticus, from Greek halieutikos "pertaining to fishing," from halieuein "to fish," from hals "the sea," literally "salt" (from PIE root *sal- "salt"). Halieutics "writing on the art of fishing" is from 1640s (Latin Halieutica was the title of a poem on fishing by Ovid).