"Men must have "guts" and physical stamina in the fishing fleet of British Columbia. They like independence. (Co-operating with a respected skipper is one thing, but "boss" is a bad word.) They are not a saintly breed, though samples of unselfishness and rough justice are liberally scattered through this story. They'll tackle boatbulding, biology, mechanics, navigation, or any- thing else. They are well endowed with patience. Above all, they are gamblers. Falling markets, low prices, and strikes prompted these individualists to act together. In the last four decades, fishermen and their womenfolk have re-molded a large segment of their industry into a new form-co-operative enterprise."-- front flyleaf.