Vanishing Species: Saving the Fish, Sacrificing the Fisherman - Hardcover

.,."a heartfelt and thorough examination of the complex scientific, environmental and economic issues arising from commercial fishing."--Valley News "The book is thought-provoking and packed with details about fishermen, fishing techniques, regulations, fisheries management, public hearings, statistics and the business of buying and selling fish."--The Patriot Ledger "This book paints a good picture of the politics of the fishing industry. The story is shocking and sad ... a must read for all New Englanders who want to preserve our unique communities and way of life. It is a fisherman's story of struggle and hopefully survival."--The Fisherman's Call .,."an in-depth view of the processing and distribution centers, as well as the seafood restaurants that purchase the product of the fishermens' labor. Fishermen, scientists, and environmentalists will appreciate the model for a sustainable future advocated by the author."--Northeastern Naturalist ."..a heartfelt and thorough examination of the complex scientific, environmental and economic issues arising from commercial fishing."--Valley News ."..an in-depth view of the processing and distribution centers, as well as the seafood restaurants that purchase the product of the fishermens' labor. Fishermen, scientists, and environmentalists will appreciate the model for a sustainable future advocated by the author."--Northeastern Naturalist

Vanishing Species is a narrative about groundfishing in New England waters over a five-year period when both the fish and the fishermen are threatened with extinction. It is also the story of the people who are laboring to save the fish, and of those who are laboring to save the fishermen. It is a story that should be read by anyone who likes to eat fresh fish and anyone who loves coastal communities. To some scientists and environmentalists, the fish stocks remain at levels too low to sustain further harvesting of the resource; to the fishermen, the fish are returning. Vanishing Species tells the story of these conflicting beliefs. Playfair has written a compelling book that asks how fish stocks became so low that they are endangered, and whether the fishermen are at fault or are merely scapegoats for a larger problem. Based in large part on interviews with a wide range of people - fishermen and their families, restaurant managers, environmentalists, fisheries scientists, politicians, and government officials - Vanishing Species offers a series of unforgettable portraits of people who are involved in the struggle to find a way to support sustainable fishing and the communities that rely on it.