Overview of the development of the sea fisheries of England and Wales from medieval times to the present.

Fish and fishermen have played a fundamental role in the provision of food in England for the last 1,000 years and this work sets out to get to the heart of every aspect of England's fisheries. Fishing has always been a complex human activity. Seafood and diet, the curing and preservation of fish and its distribution, fish farming from monastic institutions to the modern hi-tech methods and aquaculture, boats and gear, catching methods, the social structures of fishing communities, the Missions to deep-sea fishermen, the development of harbours and docks, fish protection against the background of ecological collapse, and the fishermen's skills set against such a dangerous occupation - these are just some of the themes which are covered.