Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Jennifer Sweeney Tookes, Bryan Fluech
  • The goal of the “Fishing Traditions and Fishing Futures” project is to raise awareness of the experiences of commercial fishermen and their changing livelihoods in Georgia by documenting their local fisheries knowledge   and perspectives about the state and fate of Georgia’s commercial fishing industry through the use of oral  histories. Capturing the life stories and experiences of Georgia’s commercial fishermen is especially important since many local communities have depended on the coastal environment for their economic and cultural base  for generations.

Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Andrew Ross Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Andrew Ross is a seasoned commercial fisherman based in Georgia, with a rich family history in the fishing industry. His journey into fishing began at the age of five when his father would take him out on the boat, tying a rope around him to prevent him from falling overboard. Ross took over the family business at the age of twenty when his father retired. His family's involvement in the fishing industry extends beyond his immediate family, with his grandfather having been in the shipping business, entertaining captains of big boats and cooking for them.

Danielle Sayre , Erin Scooler Brunswick, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Ben McDowell Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Ben McDowell, born in 1952, is a seasoned fisherman with over six decades of experience in the shrimping industry. His life and career have been deeply intertwined with the sea, following in the footsteps of his father who was also a fisherman for fifty years before Ben's birth. McDowell's career has spanned a period of significant change in the industry, witnessing a shift from the prosperous times of his youth to the more challenging present day.

Ahmauri Williams-Alford, Nompumelelo Hlophe Brunswick, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Brande Bennett Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Brande Bennett is a seasoned shrimper from Brunswick, Georgia. Raised on the deck of a shrimp boat by her father, she spent her childhood weekends, summers, and holidays learning the trade. Her father's influence not only initiated her career in fishing but also shaped her into a headstrong woman. She started earning from a young age by selling crabs and fish. As an adult, she transitioned from working on the boat to managing the payroll and business side of her father's shrimping business.

Danielle Sayre , Angelique Jennings Brunswick, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Charles W. Jones Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Charles Jones is a seasoned fisherman from Darien, Georgia, who has spent a significant part of his life in the commercial fishing industry. Born and raised in Darien, Jones began his fishing career at a young age, heading shrimp at the docks after school to earn money for his family's needs. Jones briefly left the fishing industry to serve in the Vietnam War, after which he returned to fishing with his father. He later bought his own boat and began running his own fishing operations. Jones also worked for the Georgia State Patrol for a period of time before buying his second boat.

Victoria Barrett, Julia Thomas Darien, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Charlie Phillips Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Charles Phillips, a native of Jesup, Georgia, spent his early years engaged in farming activities such as baling hay and picking tobacco. However, his life took a significant turn when his family moved to the coast around his seventh grade. Here, he developed a deep connection with the water, spending most of his time exploring the marshes and rivers, and visiting friends via his 14-foot aluminum skiff. His father, after a brief stint in shrimping, decided to invest in a shrimp boat, marking the beginning of the family's foray into the seafood industry.

Jennifer Sweeney Tookes, Danielle Sayre Townsend, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
David Anthony Karwacki Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

David "Tony" Karwacki is a seasoned commercial fisherman from Darien, Georgia. Born into a family of fishermen, Tony has been involved in the fishing industry since he was a child. His father, a first-generation fisherman, introduced him to the trade at a young age. Tony recalls standing on a five-gallon bucket to look over the console and drive the boat when he was just five years old. By the age of fourteen, he was already captaining his own boat and pulling his own set of crab traps.

Danielle Sayre , Erin Scooler Darien, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Dwight "Wynn" Darwin Gale, Jr. Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Wynn Gale is a lifelong resident of Darien, Georgia, and a fourth-generation fisherman. He began his career in commercial fishing at the age of twelve. Despite a brief attempt at a career in law enforcement, Gale returned to the fishing industry, following in the footsteps of his family who have only ever worked in fishing. Over the years, Gale has observed a significant decrease in the number of boats fishing in the area. He has also experienced the financial challenges of the industry, having had to sell his shrimp boat due to high dock rent and the lack of a crew.

Savannah Bell, Amber Gosser Darien, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Frank Eldon McDowell Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Frank McDowell is a seasoned commercial fisherman from Georgia with a rich family history deeply rooted in the fishing industry. Born and raised in a large family of fishermen, McDowell's life has been shaped by the sea and the challenges that come with making a living from it. His experiences span from the tradition of blessing the fleet to witnessing significant changes in the fishing community over the years.

Angelique Jennings, Scott Clark Brunswick, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Gibb Walker Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Gibb Walker, a native of Sapelo Island, Georgia, has been a part of the shrimping industry from a young age. Born on Sapelo Island, he moved to Brunswick in 1955 due to a lack of job opportunities in his hometown. His passion for shrimping was ignited by his uncle when he was around fifteen or sixteen years old, and his father was also a shrimper. At the age of twenty, he started running a boat in 1961 and continued shrimping until 2000 or 2003. Walker was one of the few Black captains in Brunswick, a position he held from around 1982 or 1985.

Ahmauri Williams-Alford, Nompumelelo Hlophe Brunswick, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University
Herbert McIver, Jr. Fishing Traditions & Fishing Futures in Georgia

Herbert Mcliver, Jr. is a seasoned shrimp boat captain with a rich history rooted in the fishing community. Born and raised in a fishing environment, Mcliver began his journey in the industry at a tender age, learning the ropes of fishing from his father. His early exposure to the fishing industry and the hands-on experience he gained over the years shaped his career path, eventually leading him to become a shrimp boat captain. Mcliver's career has been marked by both triumphs and trials, witnessing firsthand the positive and negative transformations within the fishing industry.

Danielle Sayre , Erin Scooler Brunswick, GA UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Georgia Southern University