When you remove a fish that small, you are removing the goose that lays the golden egg.

Don't kill the goose with the golden egg

Kill not the goose that lays the golden eggs

Every director bites the hand that lays the golden egg.

When you're the cash cow that lays the golden goose egg, people are always going to cheer you on, whatever.

The goose that lays the golden eggs likes to lay where there are eggs already.