Wherever you fit into the debate about food - vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian, or carnivore - you cannot argue against the fact that fish have influenced our diet for millennia, and, for many, continue to do so today. We are, after all, an island nation surrounded by seas that were once extremely rich and diverse in its variety of both fish and shellfish, and it’s well known that early man was as much a hunter-gatherer on water as on land for fish are a great supplier of protein. Yet only in the last couple of centuries has fishing become an established occupation, and the last forty years has seen a multitude of change in what is now an industry. Outside the industry, little has been written about how this seafood is caught, landed and then reaches us, the consumer. We all know about fish and chip shops, but do we know the difference between a beam and otter trawl? What is the difference between a lobster pot and a lobster creel? Did you know oysters and salmon were once caught in such huge amounts they were regarded as poor man’s food? We all like ambling around colorful fishing harbors gazing at the boats, but just how much do we know about those that go out in such a dangerous environment and bring back the catch? With fish much talked about in today’s news, alongside the unhealthy state of the oceans, here we have the definitive guide to Britain’s commercial fisheries.

Wherever you fit into the debate about food - vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian, or carnivore - you cannot argue against the fact that fish have influenced our diet for millennia, and, for many, continue to do so today. We are, after all, an island nation surrounded by seas that were once extremely rich and diverse in its variety of both fish and shellfish, and it’s well known that early man was as much a hunter-gatherer on water as on land for fish are a great supplier of protein. Yet only in the last couple of centuries has fishing become an established occupation, and the last forty years has seen a multitude of change in what is now an industry. Outside the industry, little has been written about how this seafood is caught, landed and then reaches us, the consumer. We all know about fish and chip shops, but do we know the difference between a beam and otter trawl? What is the difference between a lobster pot and a lobster creel? Did you know oysters and salmon were once caught in such huge amounts they were regarded as poor man’s food? We all like ambling around colorful fishing harbors gazing at the boats, but just how much do we know about those that go out in such a dangerous environment and bring back the catch? With fish much talked about in today’s news, alongside the unhealthy state of the oceans, here we have the definitive guide to Britain’s commercial fisheries.

Wherever you fit into the debate about food - vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian, or carnivore - you cannot argue against the fact that fish have influenced our diet for millennia, and, for many, continue to do so today. We are, after all, an island nation surrounded by seas that were once extremely rich and diverse in its variety of both fish and shellfish, and it's well known that early man was as much a hunter-gatherer on water as on land for fish are a great supplier of protein. Yet only in the last couple of centuries has fishing become an established occupation, and the last forty years has seen a multitude of change in what is now an industry. Outside the industry, little has been written about how this seafood is caught, landed and then reaches us, the consumer. We all know about fish and chip shops, but do we know the difference between a beam and otter trawl? What is the difference between a lobster pot and a lobster creel? Did you know oysters and salmon were once caught in such huge amounts they were regarded as poor man's food? We all like ambling around colorful fishing harbors gazing at the boats, but just how much do we know about those that go out in such a dangerous environment and bring back the catch? With fish much talked about in today's news, alongside the unhealthy state of the oceans, here we have the definitive guide to Britain's commercial fisheries.

The coasts of Britain and Ireland are surrounded by some of the most tempestuous waters in the world and are among the most diverse too. As a result of the diverse nature of the coast, each area has developed its own unique fishing craft suited to its own local environment. This book examines the roots of each native design.

Recent discussion, academic publications and many of the national exhibitions relating to the Great War at sea have focussed on capital ships, Jutland and perhaps U-boats. Very little has been published about the crucial role played by fishermen, fishing vessels and coastal communities all round the British Isles. Yet fishermen and armed fishing craft were continually on the maritime front line throughout the conflict; they formed the backbone of the Auxiliary Patrol and were in constant action against-U-boats or engaged on unrelenting minesweeping duties. Approximately 3000 fishing vessels were requisitioned and armed by the Admiralty and more than 39,000 fishermen joined the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve. The class and cultural gap between working fishermen and many RN officers was enormous. This book examines the multifaceted role that fishermen and the fish trade played throughout the conflict. It examines the reasons why, in an age of dreadnoughts and other high-tech military equipment, so many fishermen and fishing vessels were called upon to play such a crucial role in the littoral war against mines and U-boats, not only around the British Isles but also off the coasts of various other theatres of war. It will analyse the nature of the fishing industry's war-time involvement and also the contribution that non-belligerent fishing vessels continued to play in maintaining the beleaguered nation's food supplies.

For centuries Britain's commercial fishermen have ventured out into the ravages of the surrounding seas to bring fish back both to supply a home market and for export around the world. Fishing is one of history's most dangerous jobs, and when disasters occur they can affect whole communities: in 1872 some 129 men were lost in one night alone. Fishermen have lost their lives because of extreme weather, fishing gear entanglement, lack of emergency support and often simply by falling overboard. Today, commercial fishing remains one of the most perilous occupations and still claims the lives of fishermen each year, leaving their families behind. The Perilous Catch is a well-researched, comprehensive and poignant history of the fishing industry written by maritime historian Mike Smylie.