Atlantic Cod

From the time of the early American colonies well into the 20th century, Atlantic cod was a mainstay of the New England economy and an icon of our regional culture. Simply put, it was the bread-and-butter fishery for most fishermen on Cape Cod. Today, cod populations hover at a small fraction of historic levels and catch limits have recently been reduced to help them rebuild. Various methods are used to harvest codfish—as well as other bottom-dwelling or groundfish species such as haddock, flounder, pollock and hake—from Cape Cod waters.