Race to the Sea

The Autobiography of a Marine Biologist

Dr Alverson's story covers his early life experiences, through high school, World War II, his education and his involvement in State, Federal and International fisheries science and management. His career and story cover the period (1950-2000) during which world fisheries would explode from small boat coastal activities to distant water fleets of large vessels. World catches would increase over 300% after WWII and most of the worlds oceans and seas would be heavily exploited. Overfishing and impacts on coastal fisheries would lead the world community to seek new laws for the harvest of ocean fisheries and result in unilateral extension of national jurisdictions over ocean space. The growth of environmental movement in the later half of the 20th century would lead to conflicts between fishing and conservation groups resulting in changes in national and international fish policies. The book tracks many of these developments and DR Alverson's personal involvements and experiences during the traumatic period of world fishery expansion. During the course of his life marine fisheries resource would be seen as the great source of world protein to feed the worlds hungry and later as overfished and polluted.