Philip Ruhle

Location of Interview
Collection Name

The Fishing Industry in Newport, RI 1930-1987

Description

The Fishing Industry of Newport, Rhode Island: 1930-1987 oral history project was implemented under the auspices of the Newport Historical Society and the University of Rhode Island Sea Grant Program. The interviews document the fishing industry from the point of view of its complex traditions and changes. These interviews provide a body of unedited primary source material focusing on priority issues of local concern and those beyond the geographic area under study. Interviews were conducted by Jennifer Murray of the Newport Historical Society and transcribed at the Center for Oral History, University of Connecticut. Copies of tapes and transcripts are available for research at the Newport Historical Society. As stated in the release form, which accompanies each transcript, the memoirs are to be used for scholarly and educational purposes only.

Interviews conducted by Jennifer Murray of the Newport Historical Society Interviews were conducted between 1987 and 1988. Copies of tapes, releases, and transcripts are available for research at the Newport Historical Society http://www.newporthistorical.org/. Copies of transcripts are also accessible on the National Sea Grant Library website http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/.

Interviewer
Date of Interview
09-29-1987
Transcript
Biographical Sketch

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Philip Ruhle began his work in the fishing industry during the 1940's. At that time, he was primarily involved in seasonal inshore fisheries in the waters off New York City and Long Island. His manuscript is a rich source of information on the abundance of inshore species in that area which made the way of life of inshore fishermen possible at that time. During the 1950's, Mr. Ruhle gillnetted mackeral from Long Island to Virginia. He went on to work in several other fisheries, including dragging and Scottish seining. Mr. Ruhle worked as a swordfish harpooner and was one of the first people to use longlines for catching swordfish. His manuscript contains a wealth of information about the development of the swordfish longline industry, swordfish migration and spawning patterns, technological advances in the longline industry and swordfish depletion, and the consequences of the United States government's failure to regulate the swordfish industry. Also included is extensive information about swordfish trips, the work of swordfish longlining, and what it means to be a fisherman.


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