As we can see from Jean Marin Le Roy's log, the Saint-André's 1754 fishing expedition was a routine voyage during which the tides, the wind, the weather, equipment failures and administrative formalities imposed by the admiralty played a determinant role. Once the men arrived on the Bank, their lives were centred on the fishery, and everyone helped out when the fish were biting. Le Roy manoeuvred the ship as they tried to locate schools of fish and recorded the most important details of the expedition. Discreet, Captain Bellet managed his affairs, purchased necessary materials, supervised the fishing and was in contact with the masters of some of the ships operating close by.

The following year, Newfoundland's Grand Bank was once again the site of conflict between England and France. The Seven Years' War dealt a hard blow to Honfleur's fleet. ¹⁰⁶ In 1755, the city suffered greatly because of English raids on ships operating on the Grand Bank: 28 ships were captured and 541 men were taken to England as prisoners. ¹⁰⁷ The port from which Champlain set sail for Canada never recovered.

In 1762, the French clung desperately to the coast of Newfoundland. Under the Treaty of Paris (1763), the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (which had belonged to Britain for 50 years) were ceded to France, to replace Cape Breton Island as a haven for French fishermen. In return Britain received Labrador.

After the war, "Honfleur sent only 30 ships to the Bank. In 1767, the number dropped to 14 for the Grand Bank and 2 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. The number of ships increased to 27 only in 1776." ¹⁰⁸

Two hundred years later, on January 1, 1977, at the close of the millennium that saw the rise and fall of the Newfoundland fishery, and the decimation of fish resources in the Atlantic region, Canada extended its fisheries jurisdiction to 200 miles.

The Fisheries and Marine Service, in conjunction with several departments, developed detailed plans to implement the extension. Canada proclaimed itself "'owner and manager' of all fisheries within 200 miles of its coasts... because action [was] needed to save both offshore and inshore fisheries which have been severely depleted in recent years owing to lack of effective management..." ¹⁰⁹ Conscious of the fact that this "seriously affected the welfare of Canada's coastal communities, and its fishermen and fishing industry," ¹¹⁰ Canadian authorities concluded that "the only way to ensure effective management and conservation [was] for the coastal state itself to assume management authority." ¹¹¹

Four years later, in 1981, Canadian authorities realized that, despite the positive effects of the new management and control programs, "the 200-mile zone is not a limitless reservoir of remedies for all economic ills. Sound policies and programs in resource management, exploitation and product marketing, tempered by restraint, will be needed to ensure long-term stability... of the fragile fish resources..." ¹¹²

In the days of John Cabot, the cod was so plentiful that his men could catch it simply by dipping a basket in the sea. Today, Atlantic cod is still scarce in Newfoundland waters. Could it be gone for good?