Abstract

The global fishing crisis has been described as the world's worst ecological disaster. Official sources describe the world's main fishing grounds as being fished at or above their limits; 70 per cent of fish stocks are regarded as fully exploited, over-exploited, depleted or recovering. But how many of us really understand the social and environmental impacts of the global trade in luxury fish products? Artificially coloured farmed shrimps from South Asia create exotic meals and huge profits, but cause major social and environmental disruptions. What are the social and environmental implications of feeding one-third of the world's fish catch to cattle, pigs, poultry and other fish? While, quite literally, nations and fishworkers go to war to defend access rights, and environmental organizations and fishworkers clash over policies, many of us do not know the difference between a trawl- and a drift-net. This book is the result of reflection, meetings and discussions since 1984 when the FAO organized the World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development and is also the fruit of close ties with fishworker organizations in both North and South. It contains a broad overview of fisheries (values and quantities of species caught), and describes for the general reader the social and nutritional issues raised by the modernization of fisheries worldwide. It aims to inform all who are interested in the protection of the marine environment and the plight of workers in the fisheries sector.