Cape Cod Shellfish Industry Interviews

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Sandy MacFarlane, Abigail Franklin Archer

  • This is a collection of 15 interviews conducted in 2007 with people on Cape Cod who are involved in the shellfishing industry. Five people who are employed by towns to manage and regulate shellfish (Shellfish Officers), seven people who own shellfish aquaculture businesses (Growers), and four people who harvest wild shellfish commercially (Commercial Harvesters) were asked the question “What does shellfishing mean to you?”. From that starting point, questions centered on how the individual got into shellfishing and then what they thought the future of shellfishing might be.

    The interviews were conducted by Sandy Macfarlane, a retired shellfish biologist and conservation administrator for the town of Orleans. The work was done under a contract with the Barnstable County Cooperative Extension Marine Program. Each interview is summarized into a written document that varies from 807 to 1557 words long and has an accompanying photograph.  The interviews represent geographic, age, gender, and experience diversity as well as shellfish species diversity.  All interviewees are year round residents of Cape Cod.  One theme that emerged from this work is that shellfishing remains an important component of the Cape Cod economy and culture and those who are involved are concerned about its continued presence.

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Interviewee Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Luther Eldredge Cape Cod Shellfish Industry Interviews

Luther Eldredge is a seasoned shellfisher whose roots in the trade extend deep into the maritime heritage of Cape Cod. Having been introduced to shellfishing at a tender age by his grandfather, Eldredge has not only witnessed but also actively participated in the evolution of the industry throughout his life. In 2007, Luther Eldredge was harvesting commercially from the wild fisheries and growing oysters on an aquaculture grant that was originally his grandfather's.

 Sandy MacFarlane Eastham, MA Coastal Resource Specialists
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