Margaret Curole
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.
Janice Gadaire Fleuriel
Margaret Curole is a retired shrimp fisherman and a commercial fishing advocate from Galliano, Louisiana. She is of Cajun ethnic background. Curole did not come from a fishing heritage, but entered the industry after marrying a fisherman. Her husband's family has a long history in the Galliano area. Curole and her husband lived in a Louisiana marsh trapping camp where they engaged in shrimp fishing. Her husband quit his job the day before their daughter was born to build his first boat. Curole has been actively involved in commercial fishing advocacy. She has worked with different expos and trade shows, asking fishermen about their biggest concerns. One of the most significant outcomes of this work was the identification of the lack of healthcare as a major issue for fishing families. This led to a bill being put forth in Congress to provide startup money for each state to develop their own healthcare program for fishing families. Curole has also been involved in international advocacy work, attending conferences and trips related to the fishing industry. Her husband, now a tugboat captain, supports her in these endeavors.
Scope and Content Note
This interview with Margaret Curole, conducted by Janice Gadaire Fleuriel on September 28, 2008, provides a detailed account of Curole's life and work in the fishing industry. The interview covers a range of topics including Curole's personal background, her entry into the fishing industry, her experiences living in a Louisiana marsh trapping camp, and her work in commercial fishing advocacy. Curole discusses the cultural differences between her childhood and her husband's, the lifestyle in the trapping camp, and the dynamics of Louisiana's offshore and inshore shrimp fisheries. She also provides insights into shrimp net technology, shrimp seasons, and the effects of weather and moon on shrimp stocks. The interview also delves into Curole's advocacy work, highlighting her efforts to address the lack of healthcare among fishing families. She discusses a bill pending in Congress aimed at providing startup money for each state to develop their own healthcare program for fishing families. Curole's international advocacy work is also discussed, including her trips and conferences related to the fishing industry. The interview also touches on her husband's support for her advocacy work. The interview provides a unique perspective on the life and work of a female fisherman and advocate
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