Canada High Sea

Far to the east of Newfoundland lie the Grand Banks, extensive underwater plateaus that have long drawn fishermen into the North Atlantic. Cold water from the Labrador Current meets the warmer Gulf Stream around the banks, supporting abundant marine life but also bringing dense fog. From the late sixteenth century French and Portuguese vessels developed a distant-water cod fishery here, followed by ships from Spain and England. Crews salted their catches for the long voyage home.