Salt cod emporium
Much of the settlement and commerce of early Newfoundland was built from trade in cod fish. Indeed John Cabot in the 1600s said the cod were so thick you could walk across the water on their backs (only a bit of an exaggeration). The Ryan Premises was established in 1879 to buy salt cod from the inshore fishermen; salting was an early way to preserve fish (and meat) before the advent of refrigeration. Salt cod from Bonavista was a major part of international diets with fleets of schooners carrying fish to markets around the world. With the rise of factory ships to freeze cod, and the collapse of the cod fishery, Ryan Premises finally closed down in 1978. The Portuguese fishing fleet was a major player in fishing and salting cod and I have some old photos that I took of their schooners in St. John harbour. I've eaten salt cod (bacalao) in Portugal; not my personal favourite.
12/02/2017 www.allenfotowild.com
Salt cod emporium
Much of the settlement and commerce of early Newfoundland was built from trade in cod fish. Indeed John Cabot in the 1600s said the cod were so thick you could walk across the water on their backs (only a bit of an exaggeration). The Ryan Premises was established in 1879 to buy salt cod from the inshore fishermen; salting was an early way to preserve fish (and meat) before the advent of refrigeration. Salt cod from Bonavista was a major part of international diets with fleets of schooners carrying fish to markets around the world. With the rise of factory ships to freeze cod, and the collapse of the cod fishery, Ryan Premises finally closed down in 1978. The Portuguese fishing fleet was a major player in fishing and salting cod and I have some old photos that I took of their schooners in St. John harbour. I've eaten salt cod (bacalao) in Portugal; not my personal favourite.
12/02/2017 www.allenfotowild.com