Jane De Lay, Part 2

Location of Interview
Collection Name

Voices of the Bay

Description

In The Capturing the Voices of the Bay Education Program, students take responsibility for their own learning experience as they research, plan, and conduct personal interviews, first with each other and then with citizens of the community, to capture the rich stories, traditions, and knowledge that define Monterey’s fishing legacy. This place-based learning experience allows students the opportunity to deeply explore the historic, economic, environmental, and cultural dimensions of their particular “place” in the world and, perhaps more importantly, how all these dimensions inter-connect through the lives of those who live and work in the region.

Interviewer
Date of Interview
05-29-2012
Principal Investigator
Video
Supplemental Material
Abstract

Jane De Lay is a female fisherman who has been fishing since 2003. She started in a conservation as a environmentalist for Save Our Shores, working on conserving and protecting the ocean from pollution and habitat protection, one day she was invited to go fishing and she was hooked. She specializes in salmon, crab, rockfish, albacore, and sometimes squid and goes fish trolling. She fishes in a boat that's 34 feet, single hull, and it's made out of fiber glass. When she fishes for salmon she only catches Chinook salmon in California waters. However, she had to pick up a desk job to sustain herself and her family because the salmon season was closed for the past 4-5 years. She explains that a good fisherman has to be very observant, vigilant, and patient. Working with the fishing industry, De Lay found out that they work hard to conserve the species and take care of the ocean so that the fishermen can continue to harvest good product. She also worked with regulations for sustainable fishery. She mentions that salmon are now an endangered species not because of overfishing, but because the natural habitat is polluted. Therefore salmon season was closed and a couple fishermen lost their jobs, thus, they also lost infrastructure, gear shop. De Lay's captain buys their equipment online from Seattle and it breaks apart when they use it. In addition, there was a processing plant by the harbor but that was taken down as well. Consequently, De Lay and her crew would ship the squid catch to China to be processed and packaged, and then it gets sent back to them to sell. With facilities, regulations and fishing seasons constantly changing it becomes harder for fisherman to sell their catch because the market would not pay so much more per pound and the fisherman cannot survive on what the market offers.


Please Note: The oral histories in this collection are protected by copyright and have been created for educational, research and personal use as described by the Fair Use Doctrine in the U.S. Copyright law. Please reach out  Voices@noaa.gov to let us know how these interviews are being used in your research, project, exhibit, etc.  The Voices staff can help provide other useful resources related to your inquiry. 

The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.

Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.