The true lesson of this book is that fisheries science is complicated; that the management of any given species must be considered in terms of its ecosystem; that fishing for one species alters the food web as a whole — and that sometimes there is not enough data to make good recommendations.
Moreover, an estimated 20 percent of the world’s catch is landed illegally.
After years of bitter argument, this noncontentious book should be welcomed by anyone who cares about fish. And that should be most of us: Worldwide, 20 percent of the world’s protein intake comes from the sea. If we cannot make policies to protect this harvest, everyone will pay a price.