Amy Van Atten

Amy Van Atten Image
Location of Interview
Collection Name

The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Description

This project documents the history and culture of the commercial fishing industry and other port trades. The project began in 2004 in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival, an annual, educational celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place in New Bedford, MA. Interviewees have included a wide range of individuals connected to the commercial fishing industry and/or other aspects of the port through work or familial ties. While the majority of interviewees are from the port of New Bedford, the project has also documented numerous individuals  from other ports around the country. Folklorist and Festival Director Laura Orleans and Community Scholar and Associate Director Kirsten Bendiksen are project leaders. The original recordings reside at the National Council for the Traditional Arts in Maryland with listening copies housed at the Festival's New Bedford office.

Date of Interview
09-22-2007
Transcribers

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel

Supplemental Material
Abstract

On September 22, 2007, Janice Gadaire Fleuriel interviewed Amy Van Atten as part of The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project.   Amy, a professional in marine conservation, shares her early interests, educational background, and how her fascination with marine mammals gradually evolved into a focus on fisheries and resource management.  She pursued a career in the field of wildlife and fisheries biology and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, majoring in wildlife and fisheries biology with a minor in forestry.  Later, she earned a master's degree in wildlife management from the University of Maine in Orono.  Throughout her education, Amy's focus remained on managing natural resources, sustainability, and addressing diverse perspectives on resource utilization.  In 1991, Amy entered the world of fisheries observer work after a brief stint as a mate on a bluefish charter boat in Barnegat Light, New Jersey.  Her interest in marine populations and conservation led her to work on a harbor porpoise survey, contributing to the estimation of population size in the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy through line transect survey methodology.  Amy's involvement in the field expanded, leading her to become the NOAA Observer Program Operations Coordinator.  Her responsibilities grew to encompass program management, observer training, data collection, and analysis.  Amy also touches on the significance of her role in ensuring a balanced approach to resource utilization while fostering understanding between fishermen and observers.


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