Town Crest

Motto: "Built On The Strength Of The Sea"

The town of Fermeuse was settled in 1519, by the Portuguese. They named it Formosa, meaning beautiful river. It was later renamed Fermeuse.

One of Newfoundland's oldest fishing settlements, it is located at the head of a long fiord indented along its length by numerous coves and harbours, the principle ones being Fermeuse (Riverhead), Kingman's Cove and Port Kirwan. The incorporated community of Fermeuse includes Fermeuse and Kingman's Cove only, Port Kirwan being incorporated as a separate community. Situated on the southeast coast of the Avalon Peninsula at 46� 58' latitude and 52� 58' longitude in an area known as the Southern Shore. It is accessible over Route 10, a paved two lane highway and is approximately a one hour drive from St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland.

Throughout the Eighteenth Century, the bulk of Fermeuse's population was composed of English and Irish fishing servants with a small but growing population of year-round inhabitants. Nineteenth Century Fermeuse came to be heavily populated by English and Irish settlers. The population jumped from 409 in 1836 to 713 in 1884, with a good proportion of the population of Irish birth.

The sloping valley at the head of the harbour provided an excellent dwelling area and the rich fishing grounds around the entrance to the harbour have attracted fishing fleets from many nations for centuries.

Due to the Cod Moratorium, which was called in 1992, the town has seen a decline in population. Approximately four hundred people reside here today.

The economy of Fermeuse has traditionally been founded on the fishing industry. Fishing port facilities are located in four areas of Fermeuse Harbour:

                    (1) Port Kirwan

                    (2) Lumbley's Cove - In the area of the fish plant

                    (3) Sheep's Head

                    (4) Fermeuse Marine Centre

The area inside Sheep's Head enjoys gently sloping land, readily adaptable for expansion of onshore port facilities. Future development of on-shore port facilities would most likely occur in Lumbley's Cove, since this is the main fish landing site in Fermeuse.

Fermeuse Harbour is well sheltered and one of the deepest in Newfoundland with depths of 10 to 22 fathoms. It measures 5 kilometers long by an average with of 800 metres and is situated in a southeast direction.

Fishermen of Port Kirwan and Kingman's Cove have historically been part of the Fermeuse inshore fishing effort; however, since the primary landing site for vessels is situated in Fermeuse.

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