Taking Charge of the Future

Place Names Richmond County Atlantic Provinces Atlantic Canada Petit de Grat Port Hawkesbury Point Tupper

In 1992, the people of Richmond County faced a frightening future. For 400 years people in the area had made their living from the sea. The North Atlantic cod fishery had been the backbone of communities all over the Atlantic Provinces. But suddenly the fish were gone. Nearly 19,000 people in Atlantic Canada would lose their jobs over the next few years.

Where did the fish go? Scientists are still studying what happened. One thing they agree on is that technology (new tools and ways of fishing) played a big part. Too many fish had been caught. In July, 1992, the federal government placed a moratorium on the fishery. No one was allowed to fish cod until the government said they could. The moratorium was supposed to last just a few years but the fish have still not returned.