The cod has played a vital part in livelihoods, diets, and health in general - as well as roles in national economies and international wars. Drawing on his love of food and food culture, Mark Kurlansky leaps into history and folklore to explore how this innocuous fish had such an impact over the centuries. Kurlansky recounts how the cod spurred interest in the development of North America and caused a whole nation of people to jump into fishing and...

"As a frail young scholar, Humphrey Van Weyden knows nothing of physical labor. But when an accident at sea leaves him stranded on a seal-hunting ship controlled by the strong, brutal Wolf Larsen, Humphrey is suddenly forced into the backbreaking life of a sailor. For a time, he seems to be learning the ropes and making progress. But as Larsen becomes more and more violent with his crew, Humphrey realizes that he must escape from the clutches of this...

Tai A Chau is home for both farmers and fishermen who use the island as a permanent harborfor their small floating homes. The daily routines of Mr. Wong, a fisherman, and Mr. Ng, a farmer, are representative of their respective problems of survival, mutual dependence, and hopes for the future.

The film concerns the traditional "floating population" who fish Chinese coastal waters from family sized Junks based in Hong Kong in competition with salaried fisherman using large, mechanized boats. The combined effect of education and an increased integration with shore life is putting strains on the old ways.

Harvey Cheyne, the son of a millionaire, learns lessons about life, responsibility, determination, and self-reliance when, saved from drowning by a fishing schooner, he is forced to share the life and hard work of his rescuers.

Francine Smoholla finds herself torn between her loyalties to her Native American tribe and her job responsibilities when dams that supply Washington's hydroelectric power threaten her tribe's native land.

"In an isolated outport on Newfoundland's northern coastline, Abe Strapp is about to marry the daughter of a rival merchant to cement his hold on the shore when the Widow Caines arrives to throw the wedding and Abe's plans into chaos. That ruthless act of sabotage is the opening salvo in a battle between the man and woman who own Mockbeggar's largest mercantile firms, each fighting for the scarce resources of the north Atlantic fishery, each seeking...