The slaves of the sea
Par teddy, dans ENGLISH -# 33 - Fil RSS
Ten years after the “moratorium” which prevented people from fishing cod in Newfoundland, the flotilla of trawlers fit for sea-fishing has almost completely disappeared. “Grande Hermine”, a 65-meter long trawler began her career in St Pierre and Miquelon on big shoals around 20 years ago. It was the ultimate chapter of an adventure which lasted for over three centuries. The whole history of fishing in Normandy, Brittany, the Basque Country and of course Saint Pierre et Miquelon was built around trawler fishing and their departures for the Newfoundland shoals. The seamen have known for a long time that they are the last representatives of a profession which is doomed. They usually go fishing above the polar circle, in the Barents Sea where the Norwegian coast guards keep them under strict control. There they are fishing, from 12 to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, spending two to three months on some of the most hostile seas in the world, attracted by the “white gold” but above all passionate about a job that most of them have been doing since they were teenagers.
Grande Hermine in Saint Malo. Seamen would currently spend 2 to 3 three months on this boat in the Sea of Norway, above the Polar Circle.
5am in the Bassin Vauban in St Malo. Grande Hermine is about to leave for two or three months in the Barents Sea. We are still waiting for some people to arrive.
Grande Hermine stopes, the wind is blowing at more than 150 kilometres an hour and the sea is very rough.
Preparationn of the fishing nets.
The daily six-hour break is usually exclusively devoted to sleeping, but also to some games in order to forget about the sea. Since he left Saint Malo, Jacky has worked on a miniature model of Terre-Neuvier, Grande Hermine's predecessor.
Rene, crew's captaine.
Nicolas,the baker
Yannick, Thierry et Karl are waiting .
Temperatures have fallen below zero, the wind is blowing at more than 70 kilometres an hour, the rain is heavy and hinders manoeuvres, but the trawler has to be back afloat whatever the weather conditions might be.
The fishing net is coming back on bord.
The fishing net is coming back on bord.
Gérard, Caliméro and Carlos inside the net roof.
cofee break for Fifi, Fab and Jean-Pierre before going back to work in the fish factory where fresh fish has just arrived.
Reparation of the fishing nets
"Baader" 424, the guillotine... beheading and disembowelling the fish.
Fab has been a seaman since the age of 15. He started on the shoals of Newfoundland and finds it deplorable that intensive fishing means that now it is now prohibited to fish off the coasts of Canada.
Fabrice, 3rd mechanics.
Figer's Fabrice was injured. According to the instructions of medical PC in Toulouse by phone, Pascal, captain, realizes stitches.
Grande Hermine stopes, the wind is blowing at more than 150 kilometres an hour and the sea is very rough.
Pascal, Grande Hermine's Captain.
The seamen have to remain vigilant at all times when working on the deck in bad weather. A strong wave can easily change the course of someone’s life. As the temperature in the water is not more than 2 degrees, survival time in the water is only a few minutes.
It is relaxation time in front of a play-station in Max and Snoopy’s berth.
Temperatures have fallen below zero, the wind is blowing at more than 70 kilometres an hour, the rain is heavy and hinders manoeuvres, but the trawler has to be back afloat whatever the weather conditions might be.
Reparation of the fishing nets on the deck.
After 42 days at sea, the boat finally reaches Hammerfest, 70 39’North, the Northernmost town in the world. It is the only stop over for the crew on board Grande Hermine. There they are able to get fresh supplies and to refuel the ship.
Yannick, Fab et Karl in Hammerfest, the only stop during there trip.
The pub in Hammerfest is the only meeting place for the guys during the stop over. There they can eat, write postcards and, in the evenings, they can have a party.
Barent's sea
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