5.1-Making a Living off the Sea--Fishing*

Fishing

When rural Newfoundlanders say “fish”, they mean cod: other species are called by name (source here). It was the cod that brought the Europeans to Newfoundland. Cod, albeit seasonal, formed the basis of the societal structure in this newly found land. 

Cod.
Can live up to 25-27 years.
Can get quite large.
Seriously overfished in Canada and US.
Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada--Underwater World, Cod in Canadian waters are divided into stocks which are defined as "units displaying characteristics unique to each stock with very little intermingling between other stocks." Also, each stocks shows a different migration pattern, for example:

• The cod of the southern Labrador-eastern Newfoundland stock overwinters on Hamilton Bank and migrates to the  feedings areas towards the Labrador shore during summer.
• The cod which overwinter on Funk Island Bank migrate over a wide area during summer from Southern Labrador to southeastern Newfoundland and contribute to the inshore fisheries in White, Notre Dame, and Bonavista bays (our present home from home--see map to the left).
• The cod which overwinter on the northern Grand Banks do not migrate during summer northwards along the Newfoundland coast, instead they disperse southwards over the top of the Grand Banks and westwards around the coasts of southeastern Newfoundland. (Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada).

Adult cod feed mainly on capelin, herring, flounders and a host of other species. Capelin is another fish that migrates in masses to the shores of Newfoundland where the females will lay their eggs onto the beach. Males follow the females and will fertilize these eggs. The next big wave will wash most of  the fish away.

Photo of capelin at a beach off Trinity Bay

These capelin were and are the mainstay food for part of the summer for the cod as well as the whales. So, it is safe to say the cod follow the capelin and both are followed by the whales.

The early settlers of English/Irish origin mainly fished cod, capelin and some shellfish. The winters were harsh, people subsisted on salted fish, seal and root vegetables grown in their own gardens (mostly the work of  females).

Most of the settlers lived an indentured-servant-kind of existence. The big cod fishing companies who had their markets in Europe would give loans to households for boats and necessary gear; entire families would be involved in catching the fish (mostly the work of males),and in the back-breaking assembly-line-like process of gutting, salting and drying the cod (mostly the work of females). 

Drying cod on branches for the air to come from underneath as well.
Scene from 'Random Passage' , New Bonaventure NL

Towards the end of the season the big fishing companies would come with their big boats, weigh the amount of fish and sail off towards other coastal settlements. The price for the fish would be determined by the total catch and, of course, by the price it sold at the European market. Later that year these boats would return. The value of the new needed equipment and whatever else the household owed would then be settled which either left the household in debt or not. If not then they would receive an advance for necessities against future catch. If in debt and the debt was deemed too high, the household was cut off altogether from getting loans.

This is why the extra income by sealers in spring was so important to many if not most households.

* NOTE: The source for the content of this blog originates from public domain sources such as Canadian Geographic, the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web site, the pageant's content in Trinity NL, the book Random Passage , the site for the TV mini series for Random Passage in New Bonaventure, NL, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Environment Canada.