|
The Green Fishery on the Bank
The green fishery was carried out from ships at
sea, mainly on Newfoundland's Grand Bank.
 s soon as the cod was
caught, the head was removed and the fish was cleaned before being
salted and piled up in the hold. The term green cod refers to fresh
cod that has been salted. The green fishery is also known as the
migratory fishery because once a ship arrived at a bank the pilot
let it drift and follow the schools of fish as they moved.
|
|
Fishing for cod on the bank, 18th century
From Traité général des pesches,
by Duhamel du Monceau, 1772
(National Library of Canada)
|
|
The ships used in the green fishery were small and had a crew of
about 20 men, including 10 to 12 fishermen. The other members of
the crew prepared the fish, salted it and piled it in the hold. At
the end of the expedition, which usually lasted three to six months,
the ship returned to its port without having touched land. Green
cod was the preferred fish of the inhabitants of Paris and France's
northern provinces.
|
|
|
Fishing for cod on the banks (detail), 18th century
The fishermen on a ship from Normandy are protected from the wind and
sea spray by niche-shaped wind screens. An apprentice takes the cod to
the men who prepare it before it is salted in the hold. They are
assisted by a boy.
From Traité général des pesches,
by Duhamel du Monceau, 1772
(National Library of Canada)
|
|
Green cod, also known as round cod (how the
French prepared the fish)
From Traité général des pesches,
by Duhamel du Monceau, 1772
(National Library of Canada)
|
See " "
|
|
