Fishing lessons : artisanal fisheries and the future of our oceans

"Fishing Lessons shares the stories of success and decline, told by those at the ends of the long lines and hand lines. Kevin Bailey knows the waters, the small scale industry, and the relationships to ocean ecology. In a series of place based chapters, he channels readers through the changing dynamics of small-scale fisheries and the issues of sustainability they face--fiscal and ecological."--Provided by publisher. Fish bones in the caves of East Timor reveal that humans have systematically fished the seas for at least 42,000 years. But in recent centuries, our ancient, vital relationship with the oceans has changed faster than the tides. As boats and fishing technology have evolved, traditional fishermen have been challenged both at sea and in the marketplace by large-scale fishing companies whose lower overhead and greater efficiency guarantee lower prices. In Fishing Lessons , Kevin M. Bailey captains a voyage through the deep history and present course of this sea changea change that has seen species depleted, ecosystems devastated, and artisanal fisheries transformed into a global industry afloat with hundreds of billions of dollars per year. Bailey knows these waters, the artisanal fisheries, and their relationship with larger ocean ecology intimately. In a series of place-based portraits, he shares stories of decline and success as told by those at the ends of the long lines and hand lines, channeling us through the changing dynamics of small-scale fisheries and the sustainability issues they faceboth fiscal and ecological. We encounter Paolo Vespoli and his tiny boat, the Giovanni Padre , in the Gulf of Naples; Wenche, a sea Smi, one of the indigenous fisherwomen of Norway; and many more. From salmon to abalone, the Bay of Fundy to Monterey and the Amazon, Baileys catch is no fish tale. It is a global story, casting a net across waters as vast and distinct as Puget Sound and the Chilean coast. Sailing across the world, Bailey explores the fast-shifting current of how we gather food from the sea, what we gain and what we lose with these shifts, and potential solutions for the murky passage ahead. Contents 6 Introduction 8 Fouled Fish 24 1. The Giovanni Padre: The Sun Sets on Small-Scale Fisheries in the Gulf of Naples 26 2. The King Is Dead: The Collapse and Resurrection of Vosso Salmon 42 3. Ode to the Sea: Chile’s Troubled Fisheries 56 Loss and Recovery of Indigenous Fisheries 76 4. The First Fish: The Coast Salish Salmon Fishery 78 5. Northern Lights: The Sea Sámi Fishery in Norway 100 Return to Artisanal 122 6. A Clean and Green Fishery: Legoe Bay Reefnets 124 7. Crimson Tide: The Bay of Fundy Weir Fishery and a Conflict with Green Power 136 8. A Dying Fishery? Puget Sound Keta Salmon 152 Striking a Balance in Aqua Farming 166 9. Mother of Pearl: Ocean Farming Red Abalone in Monterey Bay 168 10. King of the Amazon: Culture and Harvest of Arapaima 184 11. Evolving Solutions 200 Acknowledgments 216 Notes 218 References 230 Index 248