Brendan Damm, 28 years old at the time of the interview, is a deckhand on lobster and gillnet boats in Montauk, NY. Despite growing up as the son of a fisherman, he never enjoyed fishing until he came back home from college with a new attitude and decided to make it his full-time occupation.

Scope and Content Note

In his interview, he talks about gentrification, fleet consolidation, and the need for investments in local seafood marketing: "You go to the local grocery store, even here in Montauk. We don't have any local fish. It's all product of China, product of Thailand, product of Indonesia. Why? Montauk's the biggest fishing port in New York, and our local grocery store isn't even selling local fish. I think that paints into my perfect ten-year outlook, where America supports the American fishermen, and we figure out a way to get sea scallops and local fluke, sea bass, scup—get these fish to the American people."

Brendan also talks about the challenges of entering the fishing industry, particularly the high costs of permits and boats, making it difficult for the younger generation to buy in without family support. Brendan expresses his desire to run his own boat in the future, possibly taking over his father's vessel. He also touches on the changes in Montauk, which was once a thriving fishing town but is now becoming more expensive due to the influx of city people buying properties. He mentions that Montauk has a higher proportion of younger fishermen compared to other ports due to its smaller size and fewer boats going out on trip fishing during the winter. Damm mentions that the older generation of fishermen started fishing without strict regulations and might discourage their children from pursuing fishing due to the complexity of the industry and the changing regulatory landscape.

The interview delves into the potential decline of smaller fishing communities and the rise of large corporations owning and operating boats, which may impact the close-knit coastal fishing community feeling. Damm also talks about the possibility of having a processing plant in Long Island to utilize underutilized species like dogfish and skates. Additionally, Damm discusses the need for raising public awareness about the sustainability of the fishing industry and notes the strict regulations governing the industry and the efforts of American fishermen to preserve fish stocks. 

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