“TRAPPERS OF THE SEA“ 1945 LOBSTER FISHING INDUSTRY IN NOVA SCOTIA FISHERMEN DOCUMENTARY XD76834

Join this channel to get access to perks: Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit Visit our website “Trappers of the Sea” (1945) is a short, color documentary detailing lobster fishing in Northeastern Canada. Directed by Margaret Perry and narrated by Donald Pringle, the film focuses on the lives of lobster fisherman in Larry’s Village, Nova Scotia as they prepare for a new season of lobstering. Pierre, a fisherman, is shown as he sails forth to set his one hundred traps, faces adverse weather, and prepares the lobsters for market. Additionally the film makes a brief reference to the cooperative movement and how co-ops were used in the affairs of the people. Opening credits (0:06). Small fishing boats bob in Atlantic Ocean, small homes lining shore in the distance (0:23). Larry’s River, Nova Scotia: scenes along pier as lobster fisherman prepare for new season, montage various signs and notices plastered along pier (0:38). Pier busy with men carrying wood crates, lobster traps over their heads (0:55). Man in newsies cap smokes pipe as he looks out in the ocean, joined by a fellow fisherman, grass blows in the wind in background (1:07). Fisherman kisses wife and baby good bye as he heads down to lobster fishery (1:22). Men walk along gravel path with wood fence down towards water, row boats and buoys scattered along grass (1:38). Scenes from the seaside village along Larry’s River: school children head to school house, woman rakes small gardening plot (1:43). Town cooperative store: small red building with plywood siding, piles of rope, pipes in display case (2:00). Fisherman tie buoys to traps so they can identify them out at sea (2:26). Multiple generations from same family work on preparing traps - grandfather, father, son; son wraps mackerel and other bait with a hook while grandfather continues to tie buoys (2:58). Father, Pierre, sets out on boat to lay traps (3:28). Local children play in tide pools along coast, look at various kinds of seaweed, find bright red lobster (3:50). Map of Canada, circle highlights broken rocky shores of Eastern Canada where American Lobster found in great quantity (4:58). Camera zooms into map where Nova Scotia is located, illustrated lobsters denote locations of different fishing communities (5:07). Silhouettes of fisherman heading out into waters at desk in small finishing boats (5:27). Pierre pulls in traps onto boat while wearing black rain coat, waterproof bucket hat (6:03). Close-up pile of lobsters that have been collected from trap (6:52). Close-up Pierre’s hand as he adds wooden picks to lobster’s claws to prevent them from biting each other (6:56). Pierre uses wood stick to measure size of lobsters, those smaller than the stick/ female lobsters are sent back into ocean (7:10). Close-up swimmerets of female lobster with thousands of eggs (7:20). Pierre prepares to reset trap, adds fresh bait (7:30). Two men pull in line from coastal waters without rocks, reefs on perhaps white York Boat (7:46). Pierre glides through waters in small fishing Dory, narrator explains difference of laying lines in clear waters vs. rocky coastal waters (7:59). Dramatic music plays as narrator describes difficult fishing conditions some fishermen may face: choppy waters, fog, difficult visibility rocks and other boats specks in the distance (8:40). Pierre sits at head of boat as it makes its way back to shore, town dock and village skyline in distance (9:12). Pierre slowly pulls into fisherman’s wharf, men from canning factory send hook down to collect Pierre’s basket of “shacks” (small lobsters) (9:28). Group of men focus as they weigh the shacks, each man has stern look, newsie cap, and pipe hanging from their mouth (9:50). Other group of men sort through live lobsters held in wooden boxes with water called “cars” where they are kept until they are shipped to market (10:11). Camera pans Larry’s River village along coast (10:46). Local women dressed in matching white aprons, silk head scarves walk home from day’s work at one of the canneries (10:51). Two men light up pipe, talk about day’s work, scenes of fisherman at dusk play again as the film ends (11:10). We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit