The first fifty years 1958 - 2008. Tides of Change tells the story of the owner-operators - the independent fishermen who sailed small vessels to harvest the New Zealand seas. Their small craft limited most of them to the inshore fisheries, to catching snapper, gurnard, cod, rock lobster, hapuka, tarakihi and many other popular species. Fishing in New Zealand has been called the 'Cinderella' of the primary industries. Fishermen have never had the political clout of those who farmed the land. The government has frequently treated fishermen with disdain - access to fisheries being sold to foreigners for the right to export other primary produce to their countries. The industry, despite promises to the contrary, has become a 'milch cow' for the government. It has been over-taxed and increasingly over-regulated. It was to help fishermen fight these battles that the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen was set up. It grew from the numerous port associations that looked after the interests of fishermen in their local area. Ably led by men like John Sutherland, Ken Hope, Brian Kenton, Chris Spiers, Ted Collins, Bob Martin, Peter Stevens, Dick Hall and Peter Jones, to name but a few, it became a force to be reckoned with amongst political lobbyists, Men such as these gave generously of their time and rarely received adequate recompense for the work they did. The Federation's achievements over it's 50-year history are astounding. It has always been at the forefront with demands for change. It was the work of the Federation's various leaders which contributed to the set-up of the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone, established the quota management system and always fought for safety on the high seas. The Federation battled for a fair deal for small-business fishermen against foreign fishing vessels and the big companies. This book is a tribute to those men who gave devoted service to their industry for so long. It is also a tribute to all fishermen who have battled the elements at sea and the changing tides of policy on shore and managed to keep fishing.