1830The first Georges Banks halibut fishery was established.Economy and Industry, Maritime & Fishing Industry
When mackerel schools proved elusive in the 1830s, Gloucester schooners were refitted for halibut fishing on George’s Bank in late winter and early spring, along with its bottom-dwelling kin, cod. In prior decades, halibut was considered a bycatch and was reportedly tossed overboard when demand was low. With the advent of ice and railroad transport, the demand for fresh halibut rose sharply and the fish would become a mainstay of the Gloucester fleet during the decades after the Civil War. The Proctor Brothers wrote in The Fishermen’s Own Book that halibut fishing was among a list of ‘firsts’ achieved by Gloucester fishermen in 1830.
Proctor Brothers. The Fishermen’s Own Book: Comprising the List of Men and Vessels Lost from the Port of Gloucester, Mass., from 1874 to April 1, 1882, and a Table of Losses from 1830, Together with Valuable Statistics of the Fisheries, Also Notable Fares, Narrow Escapes, Startling Adventures, Fishermen’s off-Hand Sketches, Ballads, Descriptions of Fishing Trips and Other Interesting Facts and Incidents Connected with This Branch of the Maritime Industry. Proctor Brothers, 1882.