Fighting for a piece

Gulls compete over the fish parts that are tossed into the water after they are filleted onshore

 

The Newfoundland food fishery is a time when Newfoundlanders are able to return to age old traditions of catching cod fish for personal consumption. The Newfoundland cod fishery was the key industry on the island for centuries until the Canadian Government shut it down indefinitely in 1992.

 

This decision ended the traditional way of life for many Newfoundlanders living in outport communities. The annual food fishery is a small conciliation for this loss of

lifestyle and staple ingredient in Newfoundland cuisine. During the fishery each boat on the water can pull in 5 fish per person to a max of 15 codfish per boat.

 

The food fishery certainly changes the scenery around Trinity during this time. The normally empty bays are dotted with small fishing boat, the wharfs occupied with men and women bent over the splitting tables skillfully filleting their catch with skill and

precision before they leave a select few out to dry in the sun. The rest of the fresh fish fills the fridges of friends and family and everyone comes up with different ways to serve the

catch: cod au gratin, cod chowder, cod provençal, or pan fried on its own…the

list goes on.

 

 

Done