Cecil Pitcher
Mariner
Cecil Pitcher was born in 1931, in the small, isolated town of St. Jones Without, Trinity Bay. When he became old enough, he started fishing with his father, two brothers and his uncle. They fished cod from a trapskiff using cod traps and long lines. The family moved from St. Jones Without to Heart’s Content in 1952. They continued the cod fishery there using their trapskiffs until 1971, when they purchased a larger and more modern 45-foot longliner, the Henry and Mary, built by Rueben Carpenter of Catalina. Gillnetting was the new fishery now. They fished cod, turbot and flounder on their new vessel. In 1972, a new opportunity came along from the Provincial Department of Fisheries for a new and emerging fishery; the Scottish ring net fishery, which we know today as the purse seine.
A fisherman from Scotland came over to teach him this new technology. In that first year, his crew landed 1.1-million pounds of mackerel. This was quite the feat as his boat and another partner boat could only carry 50,000 pounds combined per trip and their seine was only 115 x 18 fathoms.
Always the innovator and looking to the future, Cecil also helped teach and instruct other fishermen around the province this new purse seine technology fishery. It soon became a very important fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Cecil and crew soon began catching herring and then capelin using this new method. As a result, in 1976, the need for a bigger vessel arose. It was then that he and his two brothers, Edgar and Albert, purchased the 52-foot, Miss Barbara Lynn. This vessel doubled their carrying capacity and helped them bring in millions of pounds of mackerel, herring and capelin.
He used this boat until he retired upon the announcement of the cod moratorium in 1992. He will always be remembered as a bit of visionary for embracing new technology and new fisheries. He loved all types of fishing, but seining was by far his passion.
Cecil was married to his wife, Eleanor, for 43 years until his death in 2010. They had two sons and two daughters. His son, Brian, still fishes today with his own enterprise, using a 39-foot vessel to catch, like his father, multiple species. His other son, Darren, is employed on an offshore supply vessel. His two daughters, Nancy and Angela, are employed outside the marine industry.
Byron Collins
Builder
Byron Collins grew up in Hare Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. He worked as a journeyman welder with the Iron Ore Company of Canada before starting Collins Aluminum and Repairs Ltd. with his brother-in-law in 1980. They started in a two-bay garage in Eastport, N.L. but quickly outgrew the facility. So, they worked daytime at the garage fabricating aluminum and stainless-steel products for the marine industry and at night they worked on building their new facility in nearby Glovertown.
With a strong industry need for seafood and aquaculture processing equipment, the company started to supply local fish and harvesting plants in Newfoundland and Labrador. Boatbuilding began in 1981 when the first Silver Dolphin aluminum boat was manufactured. The boats were primarily used as pleasure craft and included several models. In the early 1990s, when so many Newfoundlanders were wondering about the fate of the fishery, Byron’s focus remained on the longevity of the business. His key to survival was diversity, perseverance and innovation.
It was during this time he created specialized processing equipment for the aquaculture industry and expanded the Silver Dolphin Line to include custom-designed commercial vessels and additional pleasure craft models.
By the late 1990s, Byron’s brother-in-law moved on to pursue other interests and Collins Aluminum and Repairs Ltd. became Fab-Tech Industries Inc. The line had expanded to include boats ranging from 12 feet to 35 feet and reached well beyond the Newfoundland and Labrador market. The new millennium brought market expansions and the Silver Dolphin demand continued to increase. Buyers from the U.S., Denmark, France and Canada’s North were bringing new and exciting opportunities.
Byron continued to grow the business and embraced the increased demand. In recent years, the company adopted lean manufacturing initiatives and is focused on continuous improvement. The Silver Dolphin Line is the primary product line and the company builds approximately 150 boats per year, as well as contracts for pontoon and barge designs. Dealers in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut have become a strong asset to the sales team.
After 38 years, Byron is still very active in daily operations on the production side and his insight and guidance are well appreciated. His family is very much involved in the business, with his wife Linda working by his side since the beginning, along with his son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Melissa, joining the team in 1999 and 2000 respectively. His daughter, Lois, her husband Sean and family reside in Saint John, N.B. His pride and joy are his four granddaughters.
Bill Barry
Processor
Bill Barry is the Chairman and CEO of Barry Group Inc. based in Corner Brook. A significant player in the seafood industry, Bill Barry’s companies impact economies locally, nationally and internationally. While the Barry family has been involved in fish harvesting since the 1830s, Bill’s vision for new business opportunities has resulted in company diversification domestically and internationally.
Today, the Barry Group is one of the largest seafood processing and exporting companies on Canada’s east coast. With 12 processing facilities in Newfoundland and Labrador and throughout Eastern Canada and approximately 2,000 employees, the Barry Group is Atlantic Canada’s largest employer in seafood processing.
The Barry Group operates companies in Iceland and has marketing outlets in Russia and China. Their products are sold in over 40 countries. A true family business, five of Bill’s sons and one daughter have begun the fifth generation to work in the industry.
Bill Barry has been defined as a risk taker. He has created large-scale operations and continues to expand in a competitive marketplace and in a sector that has experienced many challenges. Yet, Bill Barry has had huge success. His is the most diverse seafood company in Atlantic Canada. The company’s overall tonnage is greater than that of any company in Atlantic Canada — more than 80,000 metric tonnes of wild and aquaculture seafood products a year. Success has been driven by his ability to recognize opportunities and then do what needs to be done to make things happen. He utilizes advance technologies and harvests and processes many diverse species.
Bill Barry is a recipient of the Federal Government’s Exporter of the Year award and is an advocate for the industry. He is also a supporter of his community. He brought the Triathlon World Cup and the Ironman 70.3 challenge to Corner Brook.
The Barry Group’s vision has remained unchanged since the 1800s. Bill thrives on maintaining and building not only sustainable fisheries to ensure future generations can thrive, but sustainable communities. His companies are committed to responsible practices and sustainability with our ocean’s resources, local communities, harvesters, employees and customers. As the seafood industry continues to change at a rapid pace, Bill Barry faces the future with optimism, adapting to these constant changes.
