In 1898 a group of scientists, working without pay, often under hazardous conditions with only the most primitive equipment, began a systematic study of the fishes in Canada's inland and marine waters. The team operated under the aegis of a board of management which was later to evolve into the Fisheries Research Board, a scientific organization that has placed Canada among the world's leaders in fishery knowledge.

This history of the Fisheries Research Board examines the aims and achievements of its research, its attempts to deal with the often conflicting demands of pure and applied science, and its confrontations with a frequently uncomprehending and dissatisfied government. The people who shaped and sustained the organization figure prominently in the account.

In-depth taped interviews with senior members and employees of the Fisheries Research Board, as well as the Annual Reports and other publications of the Department of Fisheries, have enabled Kenneth Johnstone to produce a rich history of a remarkable scientific organization.