ABSTRACT
In the fast changing world of the late twentieth century, to look ahead in any field can be no simple or uncomplicated matter. Changes and developments have accelerated in fisheries as in so many other fields: the immediate past century contains almost the complete history of fishing with power-driven vessels and gear, and the present patterns and intensities of operation could never have been predicted in the late nineteenth century; and change itself has often become the norm. Now in all parts of the world age-old patterns are being changed, where indeed they have survived at all, and regional and local distinctiveness is being reduced as the world economy continues to develop and change continues to accelerate.
