Gilbert Linstead, born and raised in L’Anse au Loup, Labrador, has been involved in the fishery for most of his life. He started fishing with his father at a very young age and later completed his post-secondary education at the College of Fisheries, now the Marine Institute.
In 1981, he joined the Labrador Fisherman’s Union Shrimp Company Limited (LFUSCL), a cooperatively-owned company that is owned by the full-time fishers of coastal Labrador. He rose through the organization to become general manager of the company in 1989, a position he still holds today.
Under Gilbert’s leadership, the LFUSCL became one of the great success stories of the fishing industry in the province.
The LFUSCL has seen tremendous growth under Gilbert’s leadership. In 1989, the company’s sales were approximately $4 million, but in 2025 that number has grown to $130 million. He has also overseen the building of modern fish plants along the Labrador coast. The LFUSCL also owns the Northern Osprey III, one of the newest and most advanced shrimp vessels in the country.
Gilbert is known as a hardworking, responsible and forthright individual and these characteristics have been recognized and respected on the numerous boards and industry associations on which he has served. He has held membership with the Fisheries Council of Canada, Board of Directors of the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation, Northern Shrimp Advisory Committee, Northern Shrimp Research Foundation, Groundfish Advisory Committee for the Gulf Region, Pelagics Advisory Committee, Northern Coalition and the Association of Seafood Producers.
Gilbert is well respected within the fishing industry as evidenced by his election as Chair of the Fisheries Council of Canada in 2006.
He was also instrumental in the establishment of the community council for L’Anse au Loup in 1975 and served as secretary/treasurer for the council from 1975 to 1980. He championed the establishment of the Eagle River Credit Union and served on the board as vice-president for approximately three years. In 2014, Gilbert received the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador for leadership in community activities in Southern Labrador and for his contributions to the growth and development of the fishery in the province.
