Tag Archives: harp seal pelts
Sealing was a dangerous job
I always remember a picture of my great-grandfather standing next to a pile of harp seal pelts on the heaving and unpredictable ice floes in the frigid North Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland. Most of the fishermen, who became sealers for just a few weeks every spring, wore only the clothes and footwear that they had on when they arrived at the fleet,,, It was risky business, but the fishermen were typically poor and had big families to feed, so many jumped at the chance to join the seal fleets, despite the significant hazards involved. more, >click to read< 09:44
