Living Off the Sea

Patrick Colgan is the former executive director of the Canadian Museum
of Nature.

These reprints of earlier works reflect the extensive experience of the
author, a well-known West Coast fishing popularizer. With an emphasis on
the practical, the manuals present methods of harvesting and cooking
various available species. There are helpful discussions of equipment
and bait, as well as strategies for locating animals and dealing with
seasonal changes. Relevant background biology is provided as well.

The text is chatty and interspersed with amusing, if occasionally
sexist, cartoon illustrations. The information on pertinent regulations
and restrictions, as well as on pollution, health, and safety, is
particularly welcome, as are the reminders about conservation. With a
denser text, fewer and more serious drawings, and coverage of all of the
harvestable invertebrates and fish to be found on the Pacific coast,
Living Off the Sea is clearly the best single choice.