Overview

Beyond Trawlertown takes a journey through the British distant-water fishery and its port-city connections in an era of disruption. In 1976, defeat in the Anglo-Icelandic Cod Wars saw the British trawling fleet excluded from their traditional hunting grounds. Combining with wider global factors, the move brought an end to long-established trawling practices, with profound social, economic and cultural repercussions. Through a case study of the port of Hull, oral history and archival research explore the challenges, responses and legacy of rapid change. Although the emphasis is on Hull, this is far from a local history. Hull’s position among the world leading distant-water pioneers gives the story international significance. Focusing on memory, lived experience and place, the book goes beyond established narratives. Personal acts of remembering offer cultural perspectives on how global events and marine policy impact upon the seafaring communities that live with the consequences. The Cod Wars signaled an end, yet amid the disruption there were also new beginnings. And in the wake of an active fishery, the rhythms of the past continue to resonate in the negotiation of fishing heritage within the contemporary city. Through the convergence of time, place and memory, this holistic narrative of interweaving stories reveals the intricacies of our human interaction with the marine environment and the aftermath when its threads are broken.

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9781800856554

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Reviews

'This is a fine piece of work, based on extensive archival and oral history research, which makes an important and original contribution.' Dr Graeme Milne, University of Liverpool

'This is a fine piece of work, based on extensive archival and oral history research, which makes an important and original contribution.'  Dr Graeme Milne, University of Liverpool ‘The book’s interdisciplinary approach, drawing on historical analysis, cultural geography and critical heritage studies, is highly welcome. Most refreshing of all, though, is Byrne’s adoption of an oral history methodology to enrich the analysis. Indeed, the real heart of this book lies in the recovery of the voices of the men and women who lived through this troubled period of the city’s long history. Through incorporating their rich oral testimonies, Byrne vividly and evocatively brings to life their lived experiences, and the recollections of the likes of fishers Michael and Thomas and factory worker Margaret add real poignancy to the narrative as their life stories are captured within the book’s pages… Beyond Trawlertown is a vividly-rendered, evocative history that captures the human cost of the decline in Hull’s distant-water fishing industry.’ Robert James, Northern History ‘Beyond Trawlertown broadly focuses on an unforgiving, dangerous occupation, a seacoast town, technological advances in an industry, and the effect on men from several nations who competed for a rapidly dwindling resource… Jo Byrne’s work is a multifaceted textbook of the history and politics of the UK fishing industry, a philosophical essay, and a warning to other prominent fishing ports around the world.’ Louis Arthur Norton, The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord

Author Information

Jo Byrne is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Blaydes Maritime Centre, University of Hull.

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