One to watch on the Discovery Channel
A vocation passed from father to son, the fishermen of "The Rock" have spanned generations. But disaster struck in 1992 when the cod stock collapsed and a moratorium was declared, effectively shutting the fishery down overnight. Many left the life of the sea... but not the COLD WATER COWBOYS. This original Canadian 10-part series journeys to Newfoundland to meet these men with salt water in their veins, and follows them through one intense fishing season.
Following six captains and their crews, COLD WATER COWBOYS ventures hundreds of kilometres offshore in the North Atlantic, facing swells as high as houses and icebergs the size of small cities. A time-honoured industry in the midst of an unprecedented sea of change, these captains are stubborn men who stuck to and survived this calamity by retooling and rebuilding the industry on new catches: crab, shrimp, turbot, herring, and mackerel. It's a tough job - tough on the boats, tough on gear, tough on the human body - but these bred-in-the-bone fishermen will never trade their boats for boardrooms. Hometown pride and friendly competition rule the day, but when push comes to shove, they're all part of the same fiercely-protective fishermen's fraternity.
Still, there are countless challenges. The fishing season is a race against time...and other boats. There's only so much to catch, and little time to do it. Plagued by mechanical failures or damaged gear; icebergs and hurricanes; and the uncertainty of just where exactly the catch is hiding, every day is a high-stakes game in the life of an Atlantic fisherman. But the goal is always the same: fill the hatch and make money - as much and as fast as possible.
Fans can join the COLD WATER COWBOYS community on Twitter (@ColdWaterCowboy) to chat LIVEduring each week's 10 p.m. premiere with the CWCs and production team, using the hashtag#CWCowboys; and on Facebook (Facebook.com/ColdWaterCowboys).
