The Shore Crew of Newfoundland and Labrador

In the 19^th and much of the 20^th century, women played a central role in the economic success of fishing communities and stations in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. As members of shore crews, these women were critically important, especially in the drying process where they often functioned as shore skippers, or supervisors. At the same time, these women performed numerous household tasks, raised children, and engaged in subsistence gardening. Without their work, the household fishery economy would not have been able to survive and produce the abundance of saltfish needed for the success in international trade of the Newfoundland fishery. 

By the early 19^th century, family units were fishing the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. The inshore fishery was carried out close to shore using small boats. Families harvested the fish (the role of the fishing crew) and cured it (the role of the shore crew). Merchants outfitted fishers with gear and supplies in return for payment with fish at the end of the season. Rarely did men and women receive wages for their work or their product, and when they did it was barely a subsistence wage. In Labrador, some families established themselves as independent fishing crews along the coast, while at the same time, crews from the East Coast of Newfoundland fished from small-scale fishing stations along the Labrador coast. 

The shore crew, which processed the cod, included both men and women, though women played a significant role. Processing involved three stages – cleaning and splitting, salting, and washing, and drying. Women were involved at all three stages, but their role was most crucial in the drying process, which was supervised by the shore skipper, who was usually a woman. She had to make the fine judgments to move the fish through the various stages of the drying process that were critical to the production of a quality product. 

Women also performed those tasks which allowed the men to fish and therefore for the fishery to survive on a large scale. They cooked, served meals, and cared for the children. They cultivated and harvested subsistence gardens and cared for livestock. They sheared sheep, spun wool, and made clothing. They helped gather wild berries, preserved them, and sometimes sold the preserves for extra income. As such, they played a vital role in ensuring the daily and longer term survival of their communities.