The global fishing crisis has been described as the world’s worse ecological disaster. Official sources describe the world’s main fishing grounds as being fished at or above their limits: 70 percent of fish stocks are regarded as fully exploited, depleted or recovering. But how many of us really understand the social and environmental impacts of the global trade in luxury fish products? What are the social and environmental implications of feeding one third of the world’s fish catch to cattle, pigs, poultry and other fish? This book is the result of reflection, meetings and discussions since 1984 when the FAO organized the World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development and is also the fruit of close ties with fishworker organizations in both North and South. It contains a broad overview of fisheries and describes for the general reader the social and nutritional issues raised by the modernization of fisheries worldwide. It aims to inform all who are interested in the protection of the marine environment and the plight of workers in the fisheries sector.