A talk by Arne Jakobsen

Arne will answer such questions as:  Who were the dory men?  Why do Catholics eat fish on Fridays?  How is the trade embargo for export of fish to Russia interfering with Portuguese interest?  What was Salazar’s interest in Dory fishing?  Why do cod fish have a chin appendage and what was the significance for the fishermen?  Is it proven that Portuguese fishermen came to Nova Scotia several years before Columbus landed in the Caribbean?  How large is Portugal’s responsibility for fishery controls in the Atlantic?  How was the Portuguese rigging of their sails different and better than Columbus’?  Is there a positive future for cod fishing in the North Atlantic?  What is the fact about “grinde” whales around the Faroe islands?

Fuseta:  Statue commemorating the Cod Fishermen

Arne was born in Copenhagen and he worked all over Europe selling textile products from factories in Mexico, South America and Japan. He became an export consultant in Houston and he and his third (and last) wife Barbara later moved to St John where they ran a business selling tourist guidebooks, maps and advertising. They moved to the Algarve in 1999. Arne was drafted into the Danish Navy when he was in his late teens and he has retained his interest in the sea. Arne has co-authored a book about the corvette he served on during his naval career and he has written several articles for Danish sailing magazines and in historical newsletters. He took a sabbatical year in 1981 to sail his 34 foot yacht from Denmark to the Caribbean and has participated in Danish television series shot in the Virgin Islands. Arne is the author of the book Daisy about the Danish Countess who was cousin to Karen Blixen. Arne has spent 20 years on researching the life of Daisy and this year he has spent much time travelling and researching for this lecture on Portuguese Fishing in the the North Atlantic.