THE CATCH: THE STORY OF FISHING IN AUSTRALIA

Fishing is one of Australia’s most popular pastimes, with an estimated 3.5 million Aussies throwing a line in each year. In fact, the net worth of recreational and commercial fishing is in the billions of dollars. Writer Anna Clark delves into Australian fishing’s rich history, starting off with its importance to indigenous Australians. The techniques used by indigenous anglers, including details on the innovative line fishing techniques of indigenous women, are covered. Clark follows the early days of the colonial fishing industry, when keeping the fish fresh for market was one of the problems faced, and then details how the commercial industry exploded in the 1970s, nearly imploded due to over-fishing by the 1990s, and became the hi-tech industry of today. A cracking read for all anglers. Website: publishing.nla. gov.au/pages/home.do RRP: $39.99