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, #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