Voices from the Shoreline: The Ancient and Ingenious Traditions of Coastal Fishing

Coastal fishermen have fished salmon and herring for generations, using methods passed down from father to son. However, stocks have dwindled and regulations limit local fishing practices, leading to the danger of some methods dying out and other traditional fisheries being abandoned. Mike Smylie explores the social history of these indigenous fishing traditions and communities, presenting a picture of their lives, past, present, and future.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 320 pages
\n Publication date: 01 November 2021
\n Publisher: The History Press Ltd
\n

For countless generations, coastal fishermen have toiled at the edge of land and sea, employing age-old techniques passed down from father to son to harvest salmon and herring. While some of these ancient customs can be traced back to the days when Scandinavian colonizers first arrived in these lands in the eighth and ninth centuries, others have their roots in the nineteenth century. Regrettably, in recent years, fish stocks have dwindled, and stringent regulations have limited local fishing practices. Today, some surviving methods, such as haaf-netting, are on the brink of extinction, while other traditional fisheries have been abandoned. While herring stocks have made a remarkable recovery from their late twentieth-century decline, the Atlantic salmon faces an unprecedented threat of extinction, more so than ever before. In his captivating book, Mike Smylie embarks on a personal journey from North Devon, traversing through Wales and reaching the northern tip of Scotland. Through extensive interviews with both retired and active fishermen, Smylie delves into the rich social history of these indigenous fishing traditions and communities, painting a vivid portrait of their lives, past, present, and future.

\n Weight: 556g\n
Dimension: 158 x 233 x 29 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780750997553\n \n