Technological innovation and resource management in the fisheries of the British Isles, ca. 1400-1900
This thesis represents the first in-depth study of interactions between fishermen, fisheries managers and fishery resources in British waters before the industrial age. In particular, it investigates those interactions during periods of technological innovation and intensified fishing activity in the period between 1400 and 1900, and seeks to explain the responses of both fishermen and managers to those changes. By bringing together methodological tools from social history, environmental history and modern fisheries science it demonstrates that fishermen have always had a sophisticated understanding of the potential impact of their activities on the marine environment, and of the overall health of the fisheries in which they were engaged. Moreover, it makes clear that keen resistance to what were perceived as destructive fishing practices (particularly in relation to growth overfishing) has an unbroken history stretching back to the Plantagenets, and that fishermen's complaints about such practices were very often met with sympathy and protective legislation for the majority of that time. What follows also demonstrates that, contrary to the conventional historical view, the most consistently reviled of all
Jones, Peter
Technological innovation and resource management in the fisheries of the British Isles, ca. 1400-1900. This thesis represents the first in-depth study of interactions between fishermen, fisheries managers and fishery resources in British waters before the industrial age. In particular, it investigates those interactions during periods of technological innovation and intensified fishing activity in the period between 1400 and 1900, and seeks to explain the responses of both fishermen and managers to those changes. By bringing together methodological tools from social history, environmental history and modern fisheries science it demonstrates that fishermen have always had a sophisticated understanding of the potential impact of their activities on the marine environment, and of the overall health of the fisheries in which they were engaged. Moreover, it makes clear that keen resistance to what were perceived as destructive fishing practices (particularly in relation to growth overfishing) has an unbroken history stretching back to the Plantagenets, and that fishermen's complaints about such practices were very often met with sympathy and protective legislation for the majority of that time. What follows also demonstrates that, contrary to the conventional historical view, the most consistently reviled of all
technological_innovation resource_management fishery british_isles represent_first depth_study interaction fisherman fishery manager fishery resource british water industrial age particular investigates interaction period technological_innovation intensify fishing activity period seek_explain response fisherman manager change bring_together methodological_tool social_history environmental_history modern fishery science demonstrate fisherman always sophisticated potential impact activity marine environment overall health fishery engage moreover make_clear keen resistance perceive destructive fishing practice particularly_relation growth history stretch back complaint practice often meet sympathy protective legislation majority time follow also_demonstrate contrary conventional historical view consistently