Commercial fishing off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador quickly gained economic importance. A zoo-archaeological study of sifted bones from different locations off and on the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador documents the environmental impact of commercial fishery and the different technologies used.

Zooarchaeology of the Historic Cod Fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
By Matthew W. Betts, Canadian Museum of History, Stéphane Noël, Université Laval, Eric Tourigny, University of Leicester, Mélissa Burns, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Peter E. Pope, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Stephen L. Cumbaa, Canadian Museum of Nature
In: Journal of the North Atlantic 2014, Vol. 24  pp. 1 – 21

ABSTRACT:

Allometry and growth-increment aging of archaeological fish remains has the potential to reveal much about past fishing strategies, fish processing and trade, and fish populations. This paper documents the age and size characteristics of four samples of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) bones from early European contexts at Red Bay, Ferryland, Bay Bulls, and Crouse, which collectively span the middle 16^th to early 19^th centuries AD. It is shown that the size of cod became significantly depressed already during the 17th century.

The samples, which document the size structure of the “fished” population (the death assemblage), thus allow for a comparison of fishing strategies and techniques between the early Basque, French, and English commercial operations. In the article it is discussed whether the depressed size of cod from a ‘French’ site is a reflection on the fact that the French Fishermen were known to use seines to fish for bait (including small cod) for their ‘hand-lined’ fishing for large cods. Already in the 17th century the English banned the use of seines; a very early example of environmental protection introduced by the governing institutions. However, the explanation for the depression of average size in a later context is definitely linked to the shift from hand-lined fishing to long-line fishing post 1850. Contributing to this is nevertheless also climate changes with colder water slowing growth significantly.

Thus the samples, derived from multiple fishing regions around Newfoundland and Labrador, provide an important record of cod populations during early stages of the commercial fishery and thus offer a critical baseline record against which to compare modern handlined cod population data, when evaluating future consequences of the expected climate changes.

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