Technology versus the atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) of the gulf of maine: The impact of railroads, sharpshooters, ice preservation, and the telegraph on this fishery, 1848-1868

This study investigates the role of the industrial revolution in the precipitous decline of the offshore Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) population in the Gulf of Maine, from 1848 to 1868. New technologies were incorporated for use into the Gloucester, Massachusetts halibut fishing fleet between 1848 and 1851 that included the railroad, sharpshooter fishing vessels, ice preservation technology and the telegraph. Halibut from this region quickly became a top selling national seafood product, and the first fresh fish to be continentally marketed. This twenty-year time span was of major significance because it marked the first combined use of this technology in the field of maritime natural resources. By analyzing historical maritime records and literature of this time period, research would show that an integrated, coordinated infrastructure of technology played a significant part in the collapse of this halibut population. When maritime overfishing is discussed, blame is mostly placed on the increased number of boats journeying out into the ocean in search of more fish. History reveals that many biological and technical factors are actually involved.