by Jim Wellman
However, where most people could only see an impossible business environment, Gilbert Simms saw opportunity. Gear was selling at very low prices because farmers were desperate to make anything they could salvage from their dying enterprises, and as Gilbert’s good friend and mussel farmer, Lloyd Fudge from Brighton, pointed out, the industry had no place to go but up.
Knowing that it would take three long years before he would have a single pound of product to sell, Gilbert rolled up his sleeves and worked twelve to fourteen hours a day, six or seven days a week, determined to be successful. The former woodsman, who also fished crab for a couple of years in the early 1980s, was not afraid of hard work. He’d never done work at a nine-to-five job, and although his new venture would demand more work than anything he had ever done before, the satisfaction of working to grow his own business was different—it was invigorating.
Gilbert got a bit of a break in the three years that his product was growing to commercial size and quality. His instinct back in 2004 was correct and the market improved, and when his first 200,000 pounds of mussels were ready for harvest in 2007, prices had firmed up to thirty-nine cents a pound, a viable level. In fact, the price of mussels have not increased much since then. In 2012, Gilbert says he sold for forty-two cents per pound, but now that his farm has been certified as “organic,” he’s hoping for a higher “premium” price soon.
Since his first harvest of 200,000 pounds, Gilbert has expanded his farming area to include about 100 hectares of water surface and his harvest has increased to 1.2 million pounds in 2012. When I was there in the summer of 2013, he expected his next annual harvest would produce about the same amount.
The good news is that he has orders for every pound he can grow. Gilbert doesn’t sell retail but has opted to sell to several buyers, including Juan Roberts in Triton, Green Seafoods Ltd. in Winterton, and Eveleigh’s located near Twillingate.
Standing on the wharf in Little Bay with Gilbert Simms on a calm summer morning, you can’t help but get caught up in his enthusiasm for the mussel-growing industry as he happily explains the ins and outs of how seed is collected, how socking is done, and how they harvest mussels in winter. He sketches drawings on a notepad to show you exactly what is happening underwater throughout the various processes.
Looking out over the beautiful pristine waters of Little Bay, one can’t help but wonder what more could possibly be needed to have Gilbert’s farm certified as “organic.”
“It’s all about your operational activities,” he explains. “We have to have food-grade oil for our barges, as well as high-grade grease, and everything for all the gear, and you have to make sure there is no debris of any kind in the water that would create a negative environmental impact,” he says.
“So, even if there should happen to be a small spill of anything, there would be no environmental problem.”
And then there is the obligatory detailed paper trail that is required to keep the bureaucrats happy—not only for environmental reasons, but government has many demands, including traceability of product in case something goes wrong at the consumer end.
“We have to number everything. I record every detail so that, if anyone asks, I can say that this mussel came from, say, section A1, site C2, or whatever.”
All that extra effort costs money, and it is certainly time-consuming, but the hope is that now that all the larger mussel growers in Newfoundland and Labrador have been certified, they will get a higher return for their product.
At fifty-seven, Gilbert has no immediate plans for retirement, but when the day comes, he figures that at least one of his two sons might be interested. They both work in Fort McMurray now but come home often and are keen to work on the farm.
“There’s always something to do year-round,” Gilbert says, adding that he hopes to expand to include an additional forty hectares.
“We started this business because my wife and I wanted to come back home, and so far I love the business, and while we won’t get rich at it, we can make a living—and that’s all we want.”
Jim Wellman grew up in Port Anson, a small fishing and logging community on Newfoundland’s northeast coast. The son of a schooner captain, Jim never strayed far from his marine roots despite choosing a career in journalism. For fifteen years, Jim was host of the popular radio program the Fisheries Broadcast on CBC Radio in Newfoundland. After taking an early retirement from the radio business in 1997, Jim turned off the microphone and picked up a pen. He has written six books with marine connections.
Jim has been contracted by several agencies and corporations, such as Marine Atlantic, the Canadian Sealers Association, and Heritage Canada, to draw from his marine knowledge, particularly in the fishing industry. In November 2002, Jim became managing editor of the Navigator, Atlantic Canada’s premier fisheries and marine magazine.
INDEX
A
A. F. Theriault Ltd. 79, 81
Alder Point 191
Arnold’s Cove 2, 3, 13, 16, 17
Ashbourne, William 29-31
Atlanticat 113
Aucoin, Jean-Guy 170
B
Back Harbour, NL 28
Barry, Bill 189, 190
Barry Group of Companies 189
Barry’s Fisheries 192
Batteau, Labrador 149
Bay of Fundy 117, 155
Bay of Islands 190
Beachside 109, 110
Bear Point, NS 200
Belliveau, Raymond “Ray” 195-204
Benoit, Ian 60-67
Berkshire, Ray 2, 13, 14, 18
Berkshire, Terry 16
Bertha Joyce 2-17
Bess, Pastor K. M. 52
Black, Richard 80
Blackwood, Glenn 163-167
Bluenose (ferry ship) 143, 184
Bonavista Bay 163-165
Botwood, NL 39
Boutin, Samuel René 64
Brighton, NL 213
Bugden, Lloyd 152
Bulgin, Harvey 136
Bullen, Leo 4, 6, 11, 18
Burgeo, NL 164
Byrd, Richard E. 81
C
Canada 100 192
Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) 165
Canadian Coast Guard 14, 151, 160
Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters 103
Cape Breton 48, 170, 171, 191
Cape Sable Island 196-199
caplin 72, 177, 178, 181
Carmelle #1 24
Carmelle #3 25
Carmelle #6 25
Central Newfoundland 42, 48
Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources (CSAR) 165
Charlesville Fisheries Ltd 195, 201
Cheticamp, NS 170
Clarke, Max 147-152
Coaker, William 148
Coast Guard Auxiliary 52
cod 23, 31, 39, 51, 53, 71, 72, 86, 88, 95, 111, 164, 165, 166, 190
cod moratorium 71, 72, 165, 177
Codroy, NL 164
Comeau Sea Products 154
Come by Chance, NL 17
Commercial Fishing Vessel (CFV) 171
Confederation Building 150
Confessions of a Boatbuilder 78
Cormorant helicopter 199
Cottles Island 128
Council of Canadian Professional Fish Harvesters 206
crab 39, 72, 111, 112, 121, 124, 166, 174, 213
Crow Bay 177, 180
Cutthroat Islands 31
D
Daffodil Place 41
Decker, Trevor viii, 105
de la Tour, Charles 186
Delroy 3, 5-14, 17, 18
Dennis Point Wharf 183
&nbs
p; d’Entremont, Carmelle 24
d’Entremont, Claude 21-25
d’Entremont, Floyd 183-186
d’Entremont, Jean Guy 22
d’Entremont, Shawn 23
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) 60, 106, 112, 165
Deveau, Claude 174
Deveau, Neil 155-160
Digby, NS 185, 202
Disney Cruise Lines 166
Drover, Beulah 88, 89, 98
Drover, Cal “Calvin” 88
Drover, Dennis 87-100
Drover, Hedley 86-101
Drover, Lisa 91, 99
Drover, Roger 99
Drover, Roxanne 99
Drover, Walter 89
Duke of Topsail 152
E
Eastern Canadian Fisheries Expo 104
Eastern Fishermen’s Federation (EFF) 104
East Jeddore 195, 196
E. F. Barnes Company 148
EI system 107, 207
Elliot, Stanley 35
English Harbour East 190
Ennis, Marjorie 9-18
Environment Canada 60
Evans, Clarence 8, 12, 18
Exploits Island 139
F
Final Voyages series 169
First Nations 105
Fiset, Brendon 171-174
Fiset, Hailey 171-173
Fiset, Kevin 169-174
Fiset, Tammie 171-174
Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (FRCC) 22, 165
Fishermen’s Protective Union (FPU) 148
Fishery Products International 111
Fish, Food & Allied Workers (FFAW) 205
Fitzgerald, Lisa Anderson 141-145
Fleet Queen 27, 29
Fortune Bay, NL 190
Fudge, Lloyd 213
Fundy Fixed Gear Council 206
G
Gander, NL 39
Garrett, William 18
George, Ken 127-136
George’s Bank, NL 22, 26
Gideon’s Society 51
Grand Bank dories 14
Grand Etang, NS 170, 172, 175
Greenham, Andrew “Chum” 27-35
Greenham, Frank 128-139
Greenham, Isaac 27, 29
Greenland 124
Green Seafoods Ltd. 214
Groundfish Allocation Committee 23
H
Halifax, NS 1, 16, 45, 47, 77, 161, 173, 195
Harding, Genevieve 60, 65
Harding, Weldon 57-68
Hatchet Cove, NL 89, 93
Heffern, Lisa 123
Heighton, Ronnie 103, 107
Henneberry, Gerry 196-203
Hodges Cove, NL 85-101
Hogg, Peter 158-160
Holder, Don 78
Holley, Tom 181
I
Inshore Fisheries Ltd. 21
Inverness Oran 170
J
Janeway Children’s Hospital 41
Jeddry, Leo 153
John Cabot 151
K
Kinden, Chelsea 40
Kinden, Everett 38-42
kippers 39
L
Labrador 27-32, 97, 147, 151, 164, 177, 190
Labrador City 85-99
Labrador Coast 31, 32, 149, 150, 177
Lake boats 151
Land and Sea 85
L’Anse au Clair, NL 149
Larade, Mark 170
LBA Enterprises 212
LeBlanc, Paul 115-119
Lewisporte, NL 37-43, 127, 128, 139, 150, 167
Little Bay, NL 211, 214
lobster fishery 38-47
Lorneville, NB 43-47
Lower East Pubnico, NS 195
Lower West Pubnico, NS 21, 185
M
mackerel 39, 116
Maine 207
Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) 158
Marine Institute, St. John’s 113, 163, 166
Marine Rescue Auxiliary 206
Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU) 205, 206
Martin, Harry 164
McCarthy, Les 189, 191
McCavour, Karen 43-48
McCavour, Kenny 44, 47
McEachern, Peter 57
McEachern’s Point 57, 60, 61
McMartin, Tom 78
Melanson, Sydney 158
Memorial University of Newfoundland 1, 163
Merasheen Island 1, 18
Meteghan, NS 79, 153, 155, 156, 209
Meuse, Alain 115
Mills, Terry 39
Moore, Frank 164
Mooring Cove 86, 88, 94, 100
Mooring Cove Point 88, 95
Morrow, Denny 143
Moulaison, Joanne (Bourque) 116
Murray’s Harbour 177, 181
mussels 39, 212-214
N
Nain Banker 124
Navigator magazine 21, 96, 115, 169, 172
New Brunswick 37, 43-46, 55, 56, 121
New Harbour, NL 69, 73
Newstead–Comfort Cove 128, 139
Norlantic Mussels Farms 39
Northern Peninsula 35
Northumberland Fishermen’s Association 104
Northumberland Strait 103, 104
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) 165
Notre Dame Bay, NL 40, 128, 132, 136, 139, 165, 167
Nova Scotia 1, 21-24, 77, 103-105, 115-119, 141-145, 153, 162, 183, 186, 187, 195, 199, 202, 205, 208
Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council 105, 141, 142
Nova Scotia Labour Department 200
NS Fish Packers Association 22
O
Ocean Spray 58
Oromocto, NB 121
Ottawa, ON 106, 112
P
Paradise, NL 147
Peddle, Chris 123
Peddle, Lesley 121-125
Peddle, Wes “Willis” 86, 89, 94, 97
Pelley, Bon 109-114
Pelley, Melvin 110-111
Pelley, Paul 113
Petten, Blair 49, 53
Petten, Lester 165
Petten, Vernon 49-53
Pictou, NS 103
Pitcher, Carmel (Pomroy) 18
Pitcher, Ernie 4, 18
Pitcher, Lorraine 98
Placentia Bay, NL 2, 3, 7, 12-18
Placentia, NL 1, 3
Pomroy, Jean 4, 9, 17, 18
Pomroy, Leo 1, 3
Pomroy, Loyola 1-18
Pomroy, Nellie 3, 9, 10, 18
Pomroy, Pat 1, 3
Poole, Earl 178-182
Poole, Ed 177-182
Poole, Wallace 177-182
Port de Grave Harbour Authority 52
Port de Grave, NL 49-53, 165
Poseidon Princess 25
Pubnico Explorer 153-160
Q
Quebec 193
Quirpon, NL 35
R
RCMP 94, 161
Rebel’s Pride 123
Regional Industries Training Commission (RITC) 142-143
Reid, Don 127-139
Rice, Sid 78
River John, NS 103, 106
Road to the Isles 38-40, 129
Roberts, Juan 214
Rosborough, Bob 79, 82
Rosborough, James “Doug” 77-82
Rousselle, Alfred 64
Rousselle, Samuel 67
S
St. Anthony, NL 149, 165
St. John’s, NL 1, 73, 85, 112, 113, 121, 147-151
St. Lewis–Fox Harbour 177, 182
salmon 39, 40, 165
Saulnier, Hubert 161, 205-209
Saulnierville, NS 205-209
Science Advisory Committee for George’s Bank 22
Scotia-Fundy Mobile Gear Committee 23
Sea Folk 191
Sealer 114
Search and Rescue (SAR) 159-161
Shag Harbour, NS 200
Ship Harbour, NS 79
shrimp 39, 166
Silver Angel 195-200
Simiana, James 161
Simms, Gilbert 211-215
Sluice Point, NS 115-119
Snow, Judy 2, 8, 9, 18
SPCA 41
Springdale, NL 110-114, 211
Stanley Smith 31-34
Stephenville, NL 110
Strait of Belle Isle 33
Strickland, Max 164
Stringer, Cyril 92
Stringer, Ray 99
Summerford, NL 136
Surett, Zachary “Cario” 116-118
T
Tabusintac, NB 55-67
Terrenceville, NL 190
Thomas, Cyril 86
Thomas, Willis 85-99
Toronto, ON 109
Transportation Safety Board (TSB) 154-161
Transport Canada 195, 200
Trask, David 155-161
Treats from the Sea 38
Triton, NL 214
Twillingate Island 28
Twillingate, NL 27-38, 214
U
US Navy 80, 110
USS Constitution 81
V
VHF radio 198
W
Wells, Karl 149
Western Head, NL 131
Westport 160
West Pubnico, NS 21, 183
White Island, NL 15
Whitetail 44
Whitetail Fisheries 44
Wickens, Ward 196-203
Wild Bight, NL 109
Winterton, NL 214
Wishart, Gordie 57
Wishart, John 57
Wishart, Robbie 57, 59
Woodman Fisheries 70
Woodman, Fred Jr. 70-74
Woodman, Fred Sr. 70-74
Workers’ Compensation Board 202
Y
Yard, John 18
Yarmouth, NS 21, 104, 115, 116, 141-143, 184, 205