The Atlantic Canadian fisheries are in the throes of a resource and management crisis. Here is a thorough but accessible case study of a community forced to confront technological and social change. Looking at a southwest Nova Scotia fishery, Dire Straits documents changes directed by state development policies and local socio-economic conditions. It profiles the intended and unintended consequences of change, with a particular focus on local-level perceptions and responses. While salient to specialist interests, Dire Straits has been written with the general reader and undergraduate student in mind. Both general readers and decision makers are offered valuable insights into issues that fishing dependent regions everywhere are now compelled to face on a daily basis.