Great Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland

Little Boats of Newfoundland

“When the little boats go out to sea,
From the shores of Newfoundland,
God, do me a favour, you guide them with your hand;
Protect them from the dangers and the fury of the sea,
For those little boats of Newfoundland, Lord, mean the world to me.”
— The Little Boats of Newfoundland by Roy Payne of Trout River.

According to a recent report on rationalizing and restructuring the NL fishery, "the age of self-reliance that was once a mainstay of outport life in rural areas, when a person could combine fishing, farming, wood cutting and other forms of seasonal work to build a balanced life, appears to be numbered.”

This image, taken at Parson's Pond, Newfoundland, depicts the fate of some of the 'little boats' that are falling victim to the idea that larger boats are a more economical way to exploit the fishery. The mountains of Gros Morne National Park Long Range are in the background.

fishing boatsabandonedParson's Pondlittle boatsNewfoundlandGros Morne National Park