Greed and government mismanagement had implications.
Greetings! It has been a long time since I last posted. My first book, Arn? Narn. had just come out and there was much cause for celebration. In the ensuing time, I have been quite busy working on a new book. This one is quite a departure from Arn? Narn. in that it is a […]
Read More New Book Coming!Poaching eggs is one thing but poaching on the sea has been a long time problem in Newfoundland. There are air and sea patrols to monitor, prevent, and eventually arrest the violators. It is not something taken lightly. But and not surprisingly it is a global issue. Wherever money, however small, can be made, theft […]
Read More It’s illegal, dangerous, and it still goes on.One of the most pleasant surprises I had while photographing Arn? Narn. was waking up to an iceberg right outside my Twillingate cabin window. It had not been there the evening before so it snuck up on me, if that’s possible with something so large and majestic. The contrast of the white (and they’re not […]
Read More Cruise ships of a different kind.After the 1992 moratorium on cod fishing was enacted, over 40,000 fisherman lost their livelihood – in one day! Never to come back. The fisherman then turned to lobstering and shrimping as a way to partially recover some of the lost income. As cod fishing, it was hazardous as well. Not only was the actual […]
Read More “You know it ain’t easy…” adding insult to injury.It’s not bad enough that over-fishing has decimated the cod stocks among other edible fish, but careless fishing is endangering other species as well.There are solutions, but is anyone interested? The drive for commerce and the ensuing revenue are wreaking havoc worldwide and not too many seem to care. This report from Oceana addresses this […]
Read More Those who forget the past…The seal hunt – This is one of the most contentious issues around, galvanizing people such as Paul McCartney against it. On the surface, it would appear to be an easy thing to categorize. But there is so much more involved that we don’t usually hear about. If one is a deer hunter, then a […]
Read More When do the needs of the few really outweigh the needs of the many?For this entry, I considered renaming the blog, “Any fish but this fish.” GMO fish have much to consider, but not much of it is good. Were we better stewards, this would not have become an issue, but we are a hungry planet. Can Soylent Green be far behind? photo by Jenny Downing Genetically […]
Read More Today – Any fish, just not this fish.Just for some fun… check out the lyrics and then the article. “The Mermaid” When I was a lad in a fishing town Me old man said to me: “You can spend your life, your jolly life Just sailing on the sea. You can search the world for pretty girls Til your eyes are weak […]
Read More Mermaids, oh my!One of the joys about traveling around Newfoundland while working on Arn? Narn. was learning about their culture, more specifically their music. One of my favorite groups then and now is Great Big Sea. I defy anyone to sit still while listening to their music and if you get the opportunity to attend their concerts, […]
Read More Words of wisdom from Alan Doyle and Russell Crowe.In my book, Arn? Narn., I document what has happened to rural Newfoundland because of the collapse of the fishing industry. That happened in 1992 and nothing has really changed since then. Reading the following article begs the question, “So why hasn’t anyone learned anything from that?” This is from The Telegram in St. Johns, […]
Read More What will it take to learn some lessons?On the eve of the tenth anniversary of my first trip to Newfoundland to start the photography on the book which was to become Arn? Narn, I find myself still deeply involved with it and Newfoundland. And that’s a really good thing. After the publication, there was a whole bunch of interest in the book. […]
Read More Seventeen months and ten years.I really hope this comes to Discovery Channel in the US. ‘Cold Water Cowboys’ puts spotlight on Newfoundland By Steve Tilley (Cold Water Cowboys/Facebook) It says something about Newfoundland’s legendary hospitality that when fishing boat captain Richard Gillett is talking to a reporter from the mainland – as those on the Rock refer to the […]
Read More Cowboys from Newfoundland.Next up in the hunt for Gulf oil riches: Newfoundland SHAWN McCARTHY – GLOBAL ENERGY REPORTER OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail As Quebec moves to open a new oil play on an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland’s regulator is set to issue a report that will help determine the pace of development in […]
Read More To hell with fish, we got oil! Be careful of what you wish for.So even with revenues from oil bolstering the economy of Newfoundland, it still faces an uncertain future as the oil is expected to run out. This is the ongoing problem with n culture or society based on an extraction economy. Population of Newfoundland and Labrador predicted to plunge over next 20 years Sue Bailey, […]
Read More The more things change…This was posted by the CBC on February 9, 2014. It seems nothing has changed yet everything is changing. Baker | Cod: The great mystery By Jamie Baker, CBC News Posted: Feb 09, 2014 9:49 AM NT Last Updated: Feb 09, 2014 9:49 AM NT In recent years, cod has accounted for about $10 million in […]
Read More So, now what?This is from an article on the Discovery Channel’s website. It underscores what is a still growing problem in over-fishing already decimated fish stocks. Tasty Fish Grow Smaller in Warming Ocean by Tim Wall Fish sandwiches may be skimpier in the future as the planet’s oceans continue to warm. Biologists measured progressively smaller average lengths […]
Read More I don’t want to say I told you so, but…A Merry Christmas to all! From the Telegram in St. Johns, Newfoundland. Fogo Island. Making the cut for the Christmas Bird Count Christmas Bird Count, the world’s longest-running citizen science wildlife census, is 114 years old. “Are you a bird watcher?” asked Paul Linegar when I called him at home to volunteer my family for […]
Read More And a partridge in Logy Bay – Christmas in Newfoundland.One of the elements in writing a book such as Arn? Narn is that I believed I remain responsibly informed about the current situation. As I continue to talk about Newfoundland, I’m asked some of the same questions repeatedly, primarily “Will the cod come back? And if so, what would happen?” This is an article […]
Read More Things not likely.One of my most favorite memories of my time in Newfoundland was that of meeting and befriending some of the people whom I met. Over these years, I have stayed in touch with some of them. Some I hear from regularly; others intermittently but happily. One who stands out is Bren. I first met him […]
Read More Time passes…It was about ten years ago I conceived of the project that became my book Arn? Narn. Little did I know then of what I was embarking upon. It was nine years ago I made my first and ultimately life-changing trip to Newfoundland to start photography on the book. Eight years ago was the second […]
Read More So…OK. There’s really no danger here. No threats, you can all go about your business. Unless your names are Charles Osgood, Matt Lauer, George Stephanopoulos, Jon Stewart (again!), or Joe Scarborough. Yes, that’s right. I’ve expanded my scope and my sights are set on all of you. George, think how good it would be for […]
Read More No one is safe. Well, actually all are but five and you know who you are.So the fish are gone in Newfoundland. So what? Big deal. Right? Wrong. So very wrong! After more than twenty years, our species, the virus known as man, hasn’t learned a blasted thing. We are still fishing carelessly and without regard to the outcome and the future. Gotta have our sushi. Kitty has to have […]
Read More So what? Big deal.Back in December, I started calling out Jonathan Liebowitz, oops sorry, (you can take the boy out of the neighborhood, but…) Jon Stewart of The Daily Show fame to cover my photo-documentary book Arn? Narn. and the plight of Newfoundlanders. So far he has successfully avoided responding to my posts, tweets, (yes, I tweet now! […]
Read More You think this is over? It’s over when I say it’s over.Well, not everybody but quite a few. I’d like to share a review from The Memphis Flyer of my book Arn? Narn. In the interest of full disclosure, it pretty much lets you know where I do my day job…(what, you think all authors drive Ferrari’s and sip Mojitos by the pool while channeling Norman […]
Read More Everybody’s talkin’…In 1992, the Canadian government shut down the fishing industry in Newfoundland for 10 years in hopes that the fish would come back. When they revisited it in 2002, they found the fish stocks were in worse shape than at the outset of the moratorium. It is now in place permanently. And apparently, outside of […]
Read More Lest you think…Arn? Narn. has been out now for nearly four months. It’s been a wonderful period with much to be thankful for. Sales have been good, reviews have been even better, the Newfoundlanders who have seen it seem to like it. It’s all good. I just wanted to take some space on this post to share […]
Read More Thoughts on lessons maybe learned.Twenty-one years ago, when the Canadian government enacted a moratorium to cease cod fishing, an entire industry and way of life was wiped out. 40,000 jobs gone, just like that. In that first ten year period of the moratorium which is still in effect eleven years later after the original cutoff date, 20% of the […]
Read More Enough is enough.If anyone ever wants to move to another country and apply for citizenship of said country, there are myriad hoops to jump through, not to mention the legal fees involved. I know as I’ve aimlessly looked into it. Over the past few years, as Arn? Narn. became less of an idea, dream, and project and […]
Read More Arn? Narn. nation.The holidays, formerly at our throats, are now behind us. My trip to NYC last week went well, but still no invitation from Jon Stewart of The Daily Show to appear on behalf of Arn? Narn. So, now it’s time to resume my effort to get exposure for my book. Invoking an old Newfoundland tradition, […]
Read More This is serious.It’s been said that timing is everything. That said, I can save you, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show, some money because I’ll be in NYC on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Put me on the show, dammit! You won’t have to pay for airfare or lodgings even. I promise to be entertaining. Really. […]
Read More OK, Jon, I’m just down the street…