Lunenburg — Planned Town & Atlantic Fishery
Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
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Transcript
The Fisheries Museum occupies waterfront buildings once tied directly to the fishing economy, including an 1899 salt store.
Salt mattered because preservation determined how far fish could travel before refrigeration.
The museum interprets inshore and offshore fisheries, vessels, marine life and the labour of fishing families.
That labour was physically demanding and dangerous. Crews spent long periods at sea in cold, unpredictable conditions.
Fishing also supported industries ashore: boatbuilding, sailmaking, cooperage, processing, insurance and trade.
A harbour town can make fishing look picturesque because boats photograph well.
The economic system was much harder than the image.
This museum is valuable because it puts work back into the waterfront. The sea created Lunenburg's wealth, but it charged heavily for the privilege.