Crista Bank
The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project
This project documents the history and culture of the commercial fishing industry and other port trades. The project began in 2004 in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival, an annual, educational celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place in New Bedford, MA. Interviewees have included a wide range of individuals connected to the commercial fishing industry and/or other aspects of the port through work or familial ties. While the majority of interviewees are from the port of New Bedford, the project has also documented numerous individuals from other ports around the country. Folklorist and Festival Director Laura Orleans and Community Scholar and Associate Director Kirsten Bendiksen are project leaders. The original recordings reside at the National Council for the Traditional Arts in Maryland with listening copies housed at the Festival's New Bedford office.
Azure Dee Westwood
On September 23, 2007, Julie Olson interviewed Crista Bank as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Crista shares her experiences in the marine and fisheries field, including her education at UMass Dartmouth, her early work studying coral reef ecosystems in Australia, and her time as a marine biology instructor in the Florida Keys. Her career then took her to New Bedford, where she joined the sail training ship Ernestina and became involved in the fisheries observer program. She eventually joined the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), focusing on groundfish research. She discusses her interactions with scientists from SMAST, her role as a fisheries observer on shark longline vessels, and her perspective as a woman in the fishing industry. The interview also explores the relationship between fishermen and scientists, media biases, and challenges in implementing research findings.
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