Under the Influence of Salmon

How a man and a fish turned the world upside down

Steve Harris

$39.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Melbourne Books
09 September 2025

Australasian & Pacific history; Mathematics & Sciences; Fishes & aquaria; Fishing, angling

While Jules Verne was captivating the world with his fantastical tales of space travel, a man from the British Empire's most remote colony had a dream - to bring salmon to the Antipodes.

James Youl wanted to turn the world upside down by transplanting salmon, and then trout, into the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. His mission was dismissed as scientific and ungodly madness, but over several decades of trial and tragedy it became the most audacious, romantic, and intensive wildlife feat the world has ever seen. His quest rewrote the laws of natural history and seeded today's enormous consumption of salmon, the worldwide reputation of fishing in Australian and New Zealand waters, the global boom in fish farming, and the still-unresolved questions of the relationship between nature and humankind.

Harris explores the history of salmon and, thus, the enduring colonial obsession with mastery over nature and enforcement of Eurocentric aesthetics in his latest historical work. Both a scientific and social commentary, Harris' work is bound to enthral readers the world over - just as salmon enthralled the minds of the English, Australians and New Zealanders in the early twentieth century in their quest to bring England to Australia.

By: Steve Harris
Imprint: Melbourne Books
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 1mm, Width: 1mm,
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781922779472
ISBN 10: 1922779474
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 09 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Steve Harris is a former editor, editor-in-chief and publisher at The Age, Sunday Age and Herald Sun. He is the author of three non-fiction books, and in 2024 was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for significant contributions to print journalism. He is a life member of Melbourne Press Club, and a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University