Grand Banks Cod Fishery

Timeline

1. 1500–1600Grand Banks · Grand BanksBasque, Portuguese and other fishermen fished Atlantic cod on a large scale at the Grand Banks using hook-and-line and early trawl techniques, salting them aboard or drying them ashore before shipping to Europe, providing an important protein source for fast days.
2. 1611–1620Southern Newfoundland fishing grounds · Newfoundland and LabradorEnglish, French and other fleets competed with Iberian fishermen at the Grand Banks and Newfoundland coastal grounds; the catch supported New England port economies and prompted the establishment of seasonal processing and supply stations in North America.
3. 1600–1650Biscay Bay–London–Boston trade chain · North AmericaSalted and dried cod became an important trade good for European ports and Caribbean sugar plantations; fishery profits attracted capital into shipbuilding and shipping, providing colonial port towns in North America with steady cash flow and labor demand.