The Karinas talk about their family's contribution to the seafood industry.  They talk about processing shrimp on the boats before shipping them to market.  They tell stories of their family members driving the shrimp to the markets and sometimes dodging the cops with their shipment.  They talk about shrimping seasons.  They talk about the shrimp market before and after WWII.  They talk about the Portuguese and their roles in the shrimp industry.  They talk about the progression of the oil industry.  They talk about hurricanes and their effect on the shrim

Lee tells the tale of his escape from Vietnam with his family after the war ended. He discusses being the first Vietnamese to transition to Abbeville, Louisiana for the warm climate and the strong Catholic influence. Although trained as a pilot and engineer, Lee began his life in the U.S. as a car washer, worked his way up to mechanic, and then became a top engineer for an oil company.

Interview with Dewey Lehret.

Freddie Matherne takes us on a trip around the bayous and coast of Louisiana in this interview about the changing coastline. He describes navigating the bayous and canals for shrimping, logging, fishing, and crabbing. With 50 years of experience shrimping, he details his process of catching and preserving the best shrimp through knowledge of the waters, cleanliness, boats, and attention to improvements in technology, like cell phones and GPS. Matherne also discusses his interactions with oil companies while shrimping and his work for shrimp drying platforms with his father at a young age.

Interview with David Richard and Kent Ledoux in Grand Chenier, Louisiana.

Interview with David Richard and Kent Ledoux in Grand Chenier, Louisiana.

Edward Robin talks about his experience in the oyster industry in St. Bernard Parish.  He talks about the oyster drudge mechanism as well as the advancements in the oyster industry since he started out in 1947.  Robin discusses the new rules and regulations oyster fishermen must abide by.  He also discusses the oyster canning business and the various oyster canning facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi.  He talks about the detrimental effect that hurricanes have on oysters.  He also talks about crabbing, specifically the different stages of crabs.

Interview with Louis Blum in Houma, Louisiana.

 

Edward and Brad Robin are two oyster fishermen from Yscloskey.  They explain the process of how to catch oysters and the technology and terms used in the trade.  They mentioned the problems since the BP Oil Spill and hardships and struggles to keep all of their employees.  They also discussed the pirate wars between Mississippi and Louisiana.  Edward described life after World War II when he started Robin’s Seafood and the modern changes to the way oysters are caught from when he started as a child.

Interview with Sandra Boquet in Cameron, Louisiana.