In January 1996 the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee raised with the Welsh Affairs Committee their concerns about funding after the reorganization of local government in Wales in April 1996. Then, in February, the spill of oil from the tanker Sea Empress at the entrance to Milford Haven brought to an end all coastal fishing in that part of West Wales and had serious implications throughout Wales. This is the Welsh Affairs Committee report from their inquiry into these separate but related matters.

A topical and authoritative examination of the current crisis in the fishing industry, offering a political analysis of the reasons for the crisis and suggesting ways in which this might be overcome. The contributors include fishery officials and scientists as well as academics. The focus is mainly on the European fishing industry, with issues including political bargaining in the EU, the working of quota arrangements, the status of marine scientific knowledge and the industry's management structures in different countries.