How the migratory fishery came to be in Newfoundland and Labrador, lasting for more than three centuries before giving way to a resident industry.

France was one of the earliest European nations to engage in the migratory fishery and dominated the industry throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.

French migrations to Newfoundland and Labrador began in the early 16th century and lasted for approximately 400 years.

Newfoundland and Labrador's cod fishery was the major pull factor attracting French settlers to the colony from the 16th through 19th centuries.

The Irish played an important role in both the migratory and resident fisheries at Newfoundland and Labrador.