Black Duck Cove, the scallop capital of Newfoundland: A Land & Sea archival special

CBC
CBC

In the 1970s, the scallop fishery went through good days and terrible days, and the impact of a tumultous time was felt deeply in Black Duck Cove, on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula.

It would been hard to find someone in the community who wasn't involved in the fishery, be it through being out on the water or shucking scallops at the local plant.

It's a fishery that had seen ups and downs throughout the years, going from around a dollar to pound to surging at over $4 by 1979, when Herb Davis made this episode for Land & Sea.

It was a family effort for many, from fathers piloting the vessels to children shucking hundreds of pounds of meat per day.

WATCH: Learn more about the scallop fishery of the past in this Land & Sea archival special:

Vessels from Black Duck Cove, along with from neighbouring Anchor Point and Forresters Point, flocked to the Strait of Belle Isle. Long, flat stretches of sea floor made for ideal dragging conditions for harvesting scallops

The fishery had shown immense growth in recent years, showing promise to harvesters who had also seen tough times.

More to discover

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