Self-proclaimed capital of the terre-neuvas, Saint-Malo has made cod one of its local emblems. But why is there such a strong link between fishing and the people of Saint-Malo?
Fishing boats can be seen in the distance from some of the rooms in our hotel in Saint-Malo intramuros with sea view. But did you know that fishing in our region dates back to before the 16th century?
At that time, Saint-Malo was known as the capital of the terre-neuvas, the fishermen who left the coasts of Europe every year for Canada - and more specifically the Newfoundland region - to fish for cod.
Saint-Malo and its terre-neuvas: true love
Cod has long played a major role in the history of Saint-Malo, so much so that between the 16th and 18th centuries, more than half of the town's population lived from fishing. In some years, even hundreds of ships left the corsair town to brave the Atlantic waves bound for Newfoundland or Greenland.
However, not all terre-neuvas were Malouins or French: some were Basque, Portuguese or English. In all cases, the idyll came to an end at the end of the 20th century, as overfishing led to the scarcity of fish...
Nevertheless, cod fishing was an essential economic activity for the populations of the French coast. Saint-Malo, like Fécamp and Granville, quickly became a port for terre-neuvas. It was this very activity that led to the colonization of the Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon archipelago, which was located very close to the banks.
All about cod fishing in Saint-Malo
In Saint-Malo, two types of fishing were typically practiced: green cod (or stray fishing), and dry cod (which was carried out sheltered from winds and currents). In both cases, conditions for the workers were particularly difficult.
In the green cod fishery, crews of around 30 men would leave for fishing seasons lasting six to seven months! They fished aboard dories, small flat-bottomed boats that were easy to maneuver. Once back on the ship, the fish caught were opened, washed, salted and stacked.
Dry cod fishing was even more labor-intensive (up to 100 men per ship). The boats would anchor in a Newfoundland harbor, where barracks would be built to store the fish. Fishermen lived in very basic facilities and had to cope with extreme cold.
You can learn all about the terre-neuvas and deep-sea fishing by visiting the private Musée des Terre-Neuvas in Saint-Malo, where you can see reconstructions of life on board the terre-neuvas and talk to former fishermen who will share their wildest memories and anecdotes.
