When the Fish Are Gone

Ecological Collapse and the Social Organization of Fishing in Northwest Newfoundland, 1982-1995

Craig T. Palmer, Peter R. Sinclair

The Gulf Coast fisheries off Northwest Newfoundland provide a graphic example of the social and biological consequences of the failure to create conditions that would allow for fishing on a sustainable basis. This book shows how an ecological crisis has produced a social crisis threatening the viability of fishers, the fish plants where they sold their fish, and the communities in which they live. It is set in the context of the North Atlantic fisheries and of primary resource producing rural areas in mature capitalist societies.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Rise of the Dragger Fleet, 1965-1982
• Load n’ Go, 1983-1987
• Social Divisions and Social Cohesion
• The Fall, 1988-1992
• The Closure, 1993-1995
• The Future of Domestic Commodity Production

About the Authors

 Dr. Sinclair has published over 100 refereed articles, book chapters, and book reviews on a wide range of topics. His research encompasses global commodity networks and local restructuring, the sociology of science in the context of fisheries management, the political ecology of forest industries in rural Alabama and western Newfoundland, the politics of offshore oil development, environmental policy and interdisciplinary ecosystems theory. His work on natural resource issues was recognized by the Rural Sociological Society in 1997 when he received its award for excellence in the sociology of natural resource management. In 2005, he received an award for outstanding contributions to sociology from the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association. In recent years, his major projects have included contributions to two large interdisciplinary studies: Memorial University’s Ecosystem Research Project and Coasts under Stress, which is concerned with environmental and human health implications of restructuring. Dr. Sinclair is also involved in issues of oceans management as a member of the executive of the Oceans Management Research Network.