Taking Stock

Arguably, the three most important events in Newfoundland hist­ory are as follows. First, in 1497, John Cabot, a Venetian explorer, “discovered” the island on behalf of England. (The first European to actually visit Newfoundland — and America, for that matter — was Leif Ericsson in approximately 1000.) Second, in 1949, Newfoundland joined Confederation, thanks in large part to Joey Smallwood. And third, in 1992, federal fisheries minister John Crosbie announced a moratorium on taking cod. That prohibition was supposed to last two years, time to let the stocks recover after decades of overfishing. In fact, it remains in place, with the exception of a small, heavily regulated recreational fishery. For many families, 1992 is a borderline separating the traditional way of life from now. A small number of fishers have managed to survive, moving on to crab for the most part, but fewer and fewer Newfoundlanders are taking to the sea to fish, even for recreation. Knowledge of the old...