Fish Plants are our Friends!

Makkovik, Labrador

July 17, 2011

Fish plants dot the Labrador coast, Mary’s Harbour, Fox Harbour/St. Lewis, Black Tickle, Makkovik, and we hear there’s a plant processing arctic char in Nain. Most of them process snow crab. Boats are assigned to a specific processing plant and given a quota for how much they can catch. When they catch their quota, they’re done. If that’s all the fish plant processes, like the one in Fox Harbour, they close when all their boats have met their quotas. If it’s a good year and they’re making good catches, the plant will only be open for a short time. Good for the boats because it cuts their expenses. Not so good for the plant workers who are paid hourly. Everyone’s been saying it’s been a slow year.

For the cruiser, fish plants may have showers, laundry, a pay phone (get a phone calling card before you get to Labrador) and ice. Make sure when you tie up you’re not in the way of the cranes and make sure you’re not going to be in anyone’s way when the boats come in. The summary of fish plant etiquette - Just ask, don’t take advantage and if you’re into it, try some crab. It’s really good.

Snow crabs have tiny little bodies and really long legs. The meat is in the shoulder and the legs which crack easily. You can usually open it by running a knife up the leg. We’ve had it “regular” dipping the cooked crab in butter. I’ve also made a crab bisque and crab dip.

Makkovik has been a target for years. It seemed so very far away and so exotic. Far away it is. Exotic, well that may not be quite the right word. The fish plant here has great showers, laundry and a pay phone! Chatting with the fisherman and any locals that wander down is part of the fun of tying up. Just don’t plan too many projects and enjoy the slower pace.

The big question we’re asking is if they’ve seen the Petermann Ice Island. It broke off in the fall of 2010 and is supposed to be 150 miles or so off Makkovik now. It started out the size of Rhode Island and has now broken into several still HUGE bits. The largest has thousands of seals hanging out on it. One guy showed us pictures. The berg had run over their fishing gear but when it moved their floats and markers popped back up and they retrieved it. The weather reports include notices to look out for large bergs breaking off from the big one and it seems we’ve seen a lot of big chunks. Everyone’s wondering where it’ll go and if it’ll threaten the Hibernia oil rigs off Newfoundland. Wish we could see it but it’s too far off now.

Dinner preparations and plans to leave the next day were interrupted by Russ saying, “Guess who just pulled up?” Hannah was tying up behind us. The four of us hiked to the bare rocks over town and past where a polar bear had been seen earlier in the week. We all laid down on the warm rocks and soaked up the views and conversation and maybe a micro nap.

Tip: If you fall asleep in an area where a bear has been sighted try not to snore . . . It can sound an awful lot like a bear huffing and puffing!