Jon Broderick
The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project
The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project is an ongoing oral history project documenting the history and culture of the commercial fishing industry and other port trades. The project was begun in 2004 in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival, an annual, education 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/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.
Jon Broderick is a seasoned fisherman and a retired school teacher, born in San Francisco, California. Despite coming from a family with no ties to the fishing industry, Broderick found his calling in the waters of Alaska. He has been setting nets for salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska with his family for over 25 years. His sons, despite their diverse career paths, have embraced the tradition and often join him in the fishing season. Broderick is also known for his participation in the Astoria Fisherpoets Gathering.
Scope and Content Note
This interview with Jon Broderick, conducted by Markham Starr on September 27, 2013, provides a detailed insight into the daily life and rhythms of the set net fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Broderick shares his personal journey from a law-oriented family in San Francisco to becoming a fisherman in Alaska. He discusses the history of the community in Nushigak Bay and the impact of imported, farm-raised salmon on the wild fishery. He also touches on the situation with the proposed Pebble Mine. The interview also explores the social and cultural characteristics of fishing, including the role of family and social networks in the industry. Broderick's sons' involvement in the fishing tradition, despite their diverse career paths, is also discussed.
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