 However, employment opportunities rebounded with development of seal hunting and increased demand for fish to supply Europe after The Battle of Waterloo and defeat of Napoleon.Back home in England, business options were less optimistic as Robert's older brother Edward was dealing with decreasing corn prices and the new Corn Laws enacted to stabilize the market.Town's such as Poole, whose economy was largely reliant on migratory fisheries and merchant companies such as Spurrier, had to contend with competition from America, France and Spain's expanded presence across the Newfoundland fisheries.