An English presence was
felt in the Newfoundland fisheries since around 1500, but on a minor scale.
French, Spanish and Portuguese fishers established themselves in Newfoundland
from this time and developed successful fisheries, but there is little evidence
to suggest that the English fishers were especially engaged alongside their
fellow Europeans. Since 1497 when John Cabot’s voyage to Newfoundland brought
news that fish were so plentiful there that they could be caught by simply
lowering baskets rather than having to even use lines.
Funding
European Research Council Advanced Grant (2016-2020), NorFish, ERC-2014-ADG