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The 19th century Newfoundland seal fishery and the influence of Scottish whalemen

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Chesley W. Sanger
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Extract

The origins of the contemporary Newfoundland Harp and Hooded Seal fisheries can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries when ‘Biscainers’ (Spanish Basques) hunted whales, walrus and seals in the Gulf of St Lawrence and along the southern coast of Labrador (Prowse, 1895, p 43; Barkham, 1978). Throughout the next 400 years, as the seal fishery developed—both the landsmen and vessel operations—it became a major influence on the spread and character of settlement over a large area of Newfoundland and Labrador. By the middle of the 19th century, the large off-shore vessel operation had assumed the dominant role, and its contribution to the overall economic growth was second only to the cod fishery.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 20 , Issue 126 , September 1980 , pp. 231 - 251
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

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