Fishtales

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Laura Orleans, Patricia Pinto da Silva
  • Fishtales was a collaborative effort between the Working Waterfront Festival and the Social Services Branch of the Northeast Fisheries Science of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Fishermen and others connected to the working waterfront who attended the 2012 and 2013 Working Waterfront Festival in New Bedford were invited to share short stories on a variety of topics such as storms, close calls, unusual catches, workplace pranks, tales from the home front, and more. Project leaders were Laura Orleans and Patricia Pinto da Silva.

Interviewee Sort ascending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Renee Ruscoe, Part 1 Fishtales

Renee Ruscoe is originally from Mississippi but now fishes in the Pacific Northwest. In the first interview, she tells how she came to be a fisherman. She explains about life on a salmon purse seiner, how the seine works, and the day to day life on board. In the second interview, she tells the story about being buried in the net on the deck and how the captain left her there while finishing hauling in the fish. He wrote a poem about the experience which she shares in this interview.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Peter Olson Fishtales

Mr. Olson tells of his days fishing with gill nets, lobstering in the 1960's and 1970's and his first lobster boat.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Paul Swain Fishtales

Paul Swain comes from a fishing family. He fished for a time when he came out of the service in 1956. He became a sampler for the Port of New Bedford, eventually becoming the State Supervisor for all the ports in Massachusetts. He tells of his time fishing and about life on the waterfront.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Paul Costa Fishtales

Paul Costa recounts his short lived career as a recreational fisherman.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Pat Hubright Fishtales

Ms. Hubright's father was a fisherman. She tells about life at home and a story from her father's encounter with a Russian submarine during the war.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Nia Panteleakos Fishtales

Ms. Panteleakos talks about recreational fishing.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Nancy C. Quintin Fishtales

Nancy Quintin is the daughter of an Azorean whaleman and the husband of a scallop captain for 30+ years. She tells the story of when she was pregnant and was on the radio with her husband.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Nancy C. Quintin Fishtales

Mrs. Quintin tells of how the flavor of raw scallops differs from different parts of the ocean.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Melvin Shorey Fishtales

Melvin Shorey has fished for over thirty-four years. He has worked as a scalloper, as swordfisherman, and a draggerman.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Len Tchorz Fishtales

Len Tchorz was a fisherman for thirty-five years, worked for the Steamship Authority, and worked on a tug boat. He tells how he began in the industry and nicknames of those men who worked on the waterfront. He tells about his second trip which ended when his fishing vessel ran into an ocean liner in the fog.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival