Prior to the Cod Moratorium in 1992, Fermeuse was a thriving community solely dependant on the fishery, which consisted of trap boats, long liners and draggers.
The inshore fishing season normally ran for six months, from June to November. The main species landed was cod, followed by flounder, turbot, redfish, herring and caplin. The inshore fishing grounds were located approximately 1.5 to 2 hours steam by trap boat. Fish was landed over the privately owned fishermen's wharf or the fish plant wharf. Cod traps, gillnets and trawls comprised the principle gear used in the industry.
The fish plant in Fermeuse opened in 1952 and for the next 20 years or so operated on the catches from the inshore fishery. In the 1970's the plant was a year round operation with dragger landing during the fall and winter months.
With the government restructuring in the 1980's the status of the Fermeuse fish plant changed from yearly to seasonal. On average, the plant employed between two hundred and fifty to three hundred people at peak periods. Raw materials in the 1980's came from the inshore fishery and mid distance trawlers.
In July of 1992 the Federal Government implemented the Cod Moratorium which, many say, was caused by their own mismanagement. The advancement in technology and large allocations of quotas to local companies and foreign countries, led to the depletion of the cod stocks. For many people and many communities this has had a devastating impact.
Even though we are still in the midst of the moratorium, the fishery plays a major role in the economy of Fermeuse. Crab, shrimp, scallop and other species now take the place of the once predominant cod fishery. However, since 1992, the fish landed in Fermeuse has been trucked off to other locations for processing.
