New fisheries and old on Fogo Island

In the late 1960s, Fogo Island nearly came to an end. The trap fishery had hit rock bottom, fish buyers left the island, and resettlement seemed inevitable.

In order to save their communities, the people of Fogo Island took charge of the plant and formed a fishing co-operative. Everyone on the island got a share, and soon Fogo was catching, processing, and selling its own fish.

There were struggles in the early years but the trap fishery in FogoIsland slowly returned. By the spring of 1983, the island's people were enjoying both a resurgent trap fishery and a burgeoning crab fishery.

'Better than they've done for years'

Skipper Glenn Penney's fishing crew, made up of his seven sons, were able to see a future in fishing in Fogo Island as a result.

At the start of the season which began earlier in Fogo than in most of Newfoundland things were looking good so far, Glenn Penney said.

"Better than they've done for years."

Their crew had brought in 17 barrels of cod that morning, and another 14 later in the day, said his son Kevin Penney.

"That's a very good day's fishing," Penney said.

Like many others, Penney's crew tended to split the fish themselves after catching it, something that brings in a better price. Teenagers on FogoIsland were learning to split fish alongside more experienced fishermen, keeping the tradition alive and passing the skill along to a new generation on the island.

That year the co-op began selling its fresh fish products under its own brand, Ocean Select, instead of using a middle man.

Longliner crab fishery

On the north side of Fogo Island, new traditions were starting thanks to a longliner crab fishery in its early years.

Three longliners were initially licensed for crab, though only two were selling to the co-operative itself. Morley Rowe, owner of the Notre Dame Venture, was one of the licensed boats. Before buying the longliner three years earlier he'd been a gillnet and trap cod fisherman.

"It's not that interesting to me, as far as catching it," Rowe said of her new work in the crab fishery.

"The only interesting thing to this now is the money."

That money wasworking out OK so far, though Rowe had already resigned himself to one thing. He figured it would only be another season or two before he was heading far offshore for his catch, well beyond the sight of land he and the crew currently enjoyed.

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