The North Atlantic Fisheries are in crisis: witness the devastation of stocks, boundary disputes among nations, the desctruction of livelihoods, and, in some places, the disappearance of a way of life. How did this come about? And what is to be done?

The North Atlantic Fisheries examines five important North Atlantic Islands that derive much of their economic livelihood and cultural identity from the cold waters which surround them. They are the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. This book examines the way each of these Island societies has attempted to use the resources of the sea—principally fish—to ensure human survival, and, reciprocally, how the sea and its resources continue to influence each society.

This collection of essays is a result of the international conference, "An Island Living: Patterns of Autonomy and Dependence in the Small Islands of the North Atlantic," convened at Brackley Beach, Prince Edward Island, in September 1992. Fifty-two participants exchanged views on the social, political, and economic challenges facing 24 small island societies. This book consists of seven essays: four were originally presented at the conference, and three were written specifically for this volume.