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Fish Decks: Seafarers of the North Atlantic
Describes the daily life of modern fishermen and women, looks at lore and traditions of the industry, and discusses modern threats from pollution, overfishing and international politics
307 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1990
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February 5, 2009
William McCloskey, has worked as a commercial fisherman in addition to writing numerous articles on fishing and environmental causes. In Fish Decks he writes passionately of a rapidly disappearing life: the individual or small community fishermen of the North Atlantic. We follow the oyster men of Chesapeake Bay (see also William Warner's excellent book Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay for a more detailed exploration,) to the draggers of Gloucester, to the Inuit Eskimos netting for arctic char, to the various kinds of fishing still practiced by Norwegians along their inhospitable coasts.
McCloskey clearly admires and values what is still a very difficult lifestyle, with very long hours, under cold and wet conditions which most of us would find unbearable for a single day not to mention an entire lifetime. The chapter on sealing is eminently fair; presenting both sides of an emotional controversy~ He reveals how the issue was unethically manipulated most by the producers of the famous movie "Murder Island" which purported to show a harp seal being skinned alive. Only long after the film had achieved its enormous impact was it revealed that the famous scene had been staged and a sealer hired to do what normally was never done. Bystanders identified in the film as sealers were actually part of the film crew. The dispute was fueled by erroneous statistics and spread by people who no doubt had never visited an abattoir before enjoying their pork chops.
The consequence of the campaign was destitution for a large number of fishermen who counted on income from the seal hunt to supplement their dwindling income from fishing as the large trawlers decimated the schools of fish they had relied upon. This is not to say that killing baby seals to wear a fancy coat is justified; but the campaign was orchestrated by persons unwilling to help the fishermen find an alternative.
McCloskey lived with those he writes about and brings a different and valuable.perspective. Another excellent book about fishing in the North Atlantic is William Warner's Distant Water:
The Fate of the North Atlantic Fishermen.
McCloskey clearly admires and values what is still a very difficult lifestyle, with very long hours, under cold and wet conditions which most of us would find unbearable for a single day not to mention an entire lifetime. The chapter on sealing is eminently fair; presenting both sides of an emotional controversy~ He reveals how the issue was unethically manipulated most by the producers of the famous movie "Murder Island" which purported to show a harp seal being skinned alive. Only long after the film had achieved its enormous impact was it revealed that the famous scene had been staged and a sealer hired to do what normally was never done. Bystanders identified in the film as sealers were actually part of the film crew. The dispute was fueled by erroneous statistics and spread by people who no doubt had never visited an abattoir before enjoying their pork chops.
The consequence of the campaign was destitution for a large number of fishermen who counted on income from the seal hunt to supplement their dwindling income from fishing as the large trawlers decimated the schools of fish they had relied upon. This is not to say that killing baby seals to wear a fancy coat is justified; but the campaign was orchestrated by persons unwilling to help the fishermen find an alternative.
McCloskey lived with those he writes about and brings a different and valuable.perspective. Another excellent book about fishing in the North Atlantic is William Warner's Distant Water:
The Fate of the North Atlantic Fishermen.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review