Fishing Heritage

Fishing shaped everyday life in Arnold’s Cove and throughout Placentia Bay. Families built stages along the shoreline where fish were landed, cleaned and salted, while nearby flakes provided space for drying the catch. Stores held fishing gear, salt and other supplies needed throughout the season.

The work depended on the entire household. Men generally caught the fish, while women and children helped split, salt, wash and spread it for drying. Boats carried fishermen to the fishing grounds, transported families and supplies, and connected island communities with larger centres such as Arnold’s Cove. From small punts and dories to motorboats and schooners, each vessel served an important purpose.

Boats also played a significant role during resettlement, when families crossed Placentia Bay with their belongings—and sometimes their houses—in tow. Photographs, family stories, fishing tools and surviving waterfront premises continue to preserve the skills and traditions of these communities.

The Billy Wareham Fishing Premises, preserved alongside the Drake House, offers a surviving example of this way of life. It provides visitors with a closer look at the places where fishing gear was stored and the catch was landed and prepared, helping keep Arnold’s Cove’s fishing heritage visible for future generations.