Snook is a species of fish (and also a US WWII submarine but I digress). During the war when cod was hard to come by, many UK fish and chip shops replaced cod with snook or other such cod substitutes.
Like you say, it was better than starving.

Snook Fish!
 

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5...6snookfish.jpg

Taste good, :03:

Very true....and considered a worthy replacement by people as I recall.

It isn't trash food.

Depends what kind of snook.
If you look recently lots of places have been found to be selling snook , asian carp, catfish and dozens of other species as cod and their customers have been eating it all without any complaint.
The only complaint has been from trading standards for mis labeling and charging premium prices for very cheap fish.

I'd prefer we don't feed fish to the poor, they might live longer. Let's just give them bamboo fishing rods, work or die. :D