Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Bonnie McCay, Kevin St. Martin, Grant Murray
  • The "Cumulative Effects and New Jersey Fisheries" Project was funded by the New Jersey Sea Grant College Program, New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. Dr. Bonnie McCay and Dr. Kevin St. Martin of Rutgers University were the principal investigators of this project and interviews were conducted primarily by Dr. Grant Murray (now at Vancouver Island University) and Mike Danko (New Jersey Sea Grant College Program, New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium). These interviews had 2 principal goals: 1) to document the cumulative effects of regulatory change on the people, businesses and communities most directly dependent on New Jersey's fisheries; and 2) to create a history of New Jersey's commercial and recreational fisheries through the oral histories of people involved in them. Identifying information has been stripped from these interviews in order to preserve anonymity. Thanks to the 44 fish harvesters that participated in oral history interviews.

Interviewee Collection Sort descending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Anonymous #4 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

The narrator was born in Norway and immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve. They initially settled in New Bedford, where they fished for nearly 20 years. In 1976, the narrator moved to Cape May and started operating an 88-foot 'eastern rig' vessel for scalloping. At that time, there were only 3 or 4 full-time scallopers in Cape May.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Cape May, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #20 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

The narrators are two brothers that have fished together for some time. Both individuals were in their mid to late 50s at the time of the interview and were commercial fishermen fishing for scallop out of Point Pleasant, New Jersey. They were born in Newark, New Jersey.  Their father was a party boat captain and both gained their first experience serving as crew on that party boat. They started off fishing on their own for lobster in the 1970's but very quickly turned to scallops.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Point Pleasant, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #30 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

The narrator is a fifty-year-old fishermen who has been fishing since the age of seven, accumulating over 43 years of experience. He has engaged in various types of fishing, including seining for bait and porgies, as well as dragging and lobstering. He owned a 65-foot steel boat, which he had operated for approximately thirty years, in partnership with his father.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Belford, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #7 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

The narrator is a passionate and dedicated individual who has spent the majority of his life immersed in the fishing industry. Born in New Jersey, he completed high school and pursued six months of college, focusing on fisheries, before deciding to follow his true calling and embark on a fishing career. Driven by his deep love for the ocean and the thrill of fishing, he left college to pursue his dream. His journey in the fishing industry began on a head boat, where he gained valuable experience and honed his skills.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Barnegat Light, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #12 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

This narrator is a 45 year old male (at the time of the interview), first-generation fisherman fishing out of Cape May, New Jersey. He was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1960. He grew up in Wildwood, New Jersey, and moved there with his family in 1970. He comes from a family of four boys and did not have any sisters. Despite not coming from a fishing family, he developed an interest in fishing while living in Wildwood. At the age of 19, the interviewee started working on a Virginia boat as a deckhand, breaking into the fishing industry.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Cape May, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #18 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

This narrator was born and raised in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Despite not coming from a fishing family, he developed a passion for fishing at a young age. The narrator started working for a local fisherman when he was around ten years old, helping with tasks like picking nets and baiting. By the age of twelve, he obtained his own fishing license and began his fishing career. Throughout the interviewee’s fishing career, he primarily focused on gillnetting and fished in various locations, including Point Pleasant and Cape May.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Point Pleasant, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #15 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

The interviewee is a 46-year-old male fishing out of Barnegat Light, New Jersey. He started off with his father started as a charter captain, then moved into the tilefish fishery, then on into pelagic longlining (swordfish and tuna). More recently he moved into the scallop fishery

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Barnegat Light, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #9 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

This narrator is an experienced commercial fisherman based in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. Born on the island, he  comes from a fishing family. His grandfather was a day clammer for 75 years, and his father was an avid recreational fisherman. Growing up around the water, he developed a strong connection to the fishing industry from an early age. As a teenager, he engaged in various entrepreneurial activities, including selling crabs and working with clams.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Barnegat Light, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #16 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

The interviewee is a 41-year-old individual born in Forked River, New Jersey. Coming from a fishing family, his father owned a charter boat and engaged in charter fishing in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The interviewee has two daughters and a young son, and while the son has yet to express an interest in fishing, the interviewee is open to encouraging him if he chooses to pursue it. The narrator has been involved in commercial fishing since high school, initially working for others before purchasing his own boat in 1992.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Barnegat Light, NJ Rutgers University
Anonymous, #11 Cumulative Effects in New Jersey Fisheries

This narrator was in his early fifties at the time of the interview. The interviewee is an experienced commercial fisherman from a fishing family with multiple generations involved in the industry. Born and raised in Cape May, the interviewee has been fishing since a young age and learned the trade through practical experience. With a family business focused on fishing, they have been actively involved in the industry, making business decisions and handling bookkeeping responsibilities from a young age.

Grant Murray, Mike Danko Cape May, NJ Rutgers University