Cod - Caboto Style?

Codfish So thick
They stayed the progress of our ship
Your fleet will have no further
need for Iceland
This is enuff to feed this kingdom
Oh sire until the end of time ..."
John Cabot

Caboto had a grand wonderful story of Cod mania all those centuries ago.

And for those attending Government's announcement today at the Marine Institute expecting a similar Cod tale - well, there was a bit of a stark difference.

For one thing the prime Cod Warrior (George Rose) was off in Ireland about to set sail from the Irish coast in the Irish vessel -  the MV Celtic Explorer. He's heading across the Atlantic for a third survey of Northern Cod. (Being the real scientist he is, he was not interested in photo ops)

The Anti-Cod Princess herself (the Premier)  wasn't in sight (a sure sign of a lowly affair).

Furthermore, the Cod news itself was really a re-announcement of what was already proclaimed in the budget in late March.

And then there were the Cod Survey results that were suppose to be released - but somehow seemed to have been eclipsed by giddy men looking for the media glare.

"The media got that part wrong," says the Institute's main man when asked about the elusive survey results.

Well, it seems the Fisheries Minister himself may also have been hoodwinked into thinking there would be Cod research details as he issued a press statement promising the same.

The best we got was that "there are positive signs" of Cod being the comeback kid of the year.

No real results, and no plan nor strategy on how we are going to prepare for Cod Comeback.

A bit of a cod indeed!

But hey,even the hint of a Cod return to our waters warms our hearts;
and news of a Cod bonanza off north Norway and  Russia all point to a less bleak Cod future.

Caboto's Cod tale may just have a second re-run if we play our Cod Cards right.