This recording is of a Tidy Island Museum tour by Goose Culbreath, Alcee Taylor and others, discussing the history of the island, off Cortez, and family outings there.

Raymond Stargell Pringle's family came to Cortez in 1919.  In this interview, he talks about his father and fishing with him as a kid. Later, he became a minister.

Mr. Earl Taylor talks about his fishing history with others over the years. He quit when he was married and was a cook for a while before he came back to fishing.

In this interview, Paul Taylor talks about his family, his fishing life, living in the Ilbion Inn and his views on fishing.  Taylor's father came to Cortez from North Carolina.  

Oral history interview with Mark Taylor.

Elizabeth Pearson Jones talks about her family history and a 1921 hurricane.

In this interview, Sue Turner Maddox talks about family history, not in the fishing industry.  Her husband had a drive-in in Mulberry.  They divorced and she moved to Cortez in 1965.  Maddox had visited with cousins here before.  She worked at Moore Stone crab and Bell fish Company in order to support her kids.  She got involved in fighting drug problems in Cortez and Bradenton in the 70's with some harrowing results.  She still working at Bell's Fish Company.

Oral history interview with father and son, Raymond Stargill Pringle, Jr. and Sr.

Calvin Edison Bell was born on November 14, 1929. He is the son of Aaron Park Bell, a commercial fisherman from North Carolina, and Jessie Blanche Fulford. Calvin grew up in a family of seven children, with five brothers and one sister. He lived in the same house in Cortez, Florida, for his entire life. Calvin followed in his father's footsteps and became a commercial fisherman, participating in various types of fishing including mackerel fishing, mullet fishing, and seine fishing.

This interview with Walter Bell, the son of A P Bell, covers his family and growing up in Cortez.  Some info about the Manatee River Fish Co. a precurser to A P Bell Fish Company and relations with other fishermen.

This interview with Marvin Carver covers family, fishing, fish camps and net spreads. He also had a bridge tender's job in Cortez.

This interview discusses mostly family history.  She did a lot of Cortez history work.  Green wrote a book, Fog's Comin In, a history of Cortez with many pictures.

In this interview, Raymond Guthrie discusses his family history and fishing experiences.  He did seine fishing and stop netting. Guthrie talks about animosity from other fishermen.  He fished and did mowing work, and some boat building.
 

Vernon Mora discusses family history, fishing in Sarasota Bay.  He fished for A.P. Bell and Fulfords, worked on a dredge for a while, had a shrimp boat for a while.

Raymond Pringle, Jr. discusses family life, fishing with various others, seine and gill netting.  He expresses bitterness about all the regulations imposed on commercial fishing.

Alcee Taylor is a native of Cortez, Florida, a historic fishing village known for its rich maritime heritage. Born into a family of boat builders, Taylor's father was known for building skiffs, a versatile type of boat that was adapted to the shallow waters of Florida's bays and estuaries. Taylor himself has a deep connection with the fishing industry, having bought fish in North Carolina and worked with the Florida Shrimp Exchange. He also served in the military, after which he engaged in fishing activities in North Carolina.

This interview has two tracks, one an interview with Julian Culbreath and the other some music played on his fiddle with Leo Gale on guitar.  The interview discusses Culbreath's family history and fishing. Culbreath's family was musical.  A lot is about his musical career and the formation of The Cortez Grand Old Opry. The music tape has "The Cortez Rag" and "The Orange Blossom Special."

Commonly known as "Blue", Thomas Fulford talks about his fishing with "Tink" Fulford, fishing on the Anna Dean, growing up in Cortez, 'Hogging' stop netting, feud with gill netters, union formation attempts, net care and conflict with sport fishermen.

Ralph Fulford is the son of 'Tink" Fulford, a fisherman, who had the Dixie Fish Co. and later the Fulford Fish Co.  Ralph ran the fish house from 1946 on.  He talks about the processing and operation of a fish house.  Also, he discusses his part in founding the Cortez Historical Society. 

Wanda Fulford was born on March 23, 1933, in Cortez, Florida, to Elizabeth and James Jones.  James was a commercial fisherman.  The family moved to Englewood then to Stump Pass for a while so her father could fish for Mullet.  Her mother returned to Cortez with the family shortly, leaving James in Stump Pass.  Wanda had a sister and two brothers.  She left school with a year and a half to go to work.  Wanda worked at various jobs.

Joe Croke is a recent commercial fisherman, who started fishing in the Cortez area in 2008.

Scope and Content Note

Nate Meschelle is a young commercial fisherman based out of Cortez. Nate embarked on a full-time fishing career at a young age, honing his skills in various fisheries such as lady fish, jack, and pompano. He is not only experienced in navigating the waters and understanding the ecosystem but also an advocate for environmental conservation and sustainable fishing practices, actively engaging in activities like clam release and promoting initiatives to mitigate the impact of human activities on marine life.

Rick Waite and Tom Olyanarnyk are commercial fishermen from Cortez. Their earliest memories of a Red Tide event was during the 1970s, where they witnessed a bad fish kill mostly affecting crabs. 

Scope and Content Note

Mike Davis is a commercial fisherman residing in Cortez.

Scope and Content Note

Paul Moore is a local Cortez stone crabber. Moore has been fishing and stone crabbing in the Cortez area since the 1970s. Moore started stone crabbing in 1980, joining his family's stone crab restaurant business. He primarily worked on crab and lobster boats for the first 15 years after high school. He began running his own boat in 1991.

"When you go into another man's territory you've got to fish like he does. You've got to learn to fish like they fish or you won't catch nothin'. Everybody learns. Every community fishes different."

John Banyas is a fourth-generation fisherman from Cortez, Florida. He has dedicated his life to the fishing industry, learning the trade from his grandfather and engaging in various fishing techniques such as gill netting and purse seining. Banyas has become a vocal advocate for addressing the detrimental effects of red tide on the fishing industry, highlighting the decline in fish populations and the urgent need to improve water quality to ensure the sustainability of the fishery. 

This interview Ken Jenkins was conducted as part of the Cortez Village Voices from the Fisheries Project. This project is a collection of oral histories of Cortez, Florida community members who are involved in maritime activities (such as commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, crew members, and fish house workers) in order to document the changing face of Cortez Village's marine environment.

This interview with J.B. Crawford was conducted as part of the Cortez Village Voices from the Fisheries Project. This project is a collection of oral histories of Cortez, Florida community members who are involved in maritime activities (such as commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, crew members, and fish house workers) in order to document the changing face of Cortez Village's marine environment.

Karen Bell is deeply rooted in the Cortez community, where she stands at the helm of A.P. Bell Fish Company, a family business with a rich history in the fishing industry. After attending college, she returned to lead the family enterprise. Bell's journey includes the acquisition of a restaurant, an endeavor that brought its own set of challenges, particularly in the wake of a net ban that affected sales.

Karen Bell is a dedicated member of the Cortez fishing community in Florida. Born and raised in Bradenton, she has always had a deep connection to Cortez, spending Sundays at her grandmother's house, where large family gatherings and delicious meals were a regular occurrence. Karen's father and uncles were fishermen, and she grew up surrounded by the sights and sounds of the fishing docks. Karen's father eventually transitioned from fishing to working at the AP Bell fish house in the early 1960s. In 1986, after completing college, Karen moved to Cortez and began working at the fish house.

John Banyas is a fish house owner and fisherman from Cortez, Florida. His grandfather, Neriah Taylor was a boatbuilder in the community. John fishes for mullet and baitfish. He also owns a wholesale/retail seafood shop and restaurant on his property along with a boat haulout facility.

John McDonald, a native of Cortez, Florida, has a rich history rooted in the local fishing industry. Born into a family of fishermen, McDonald learned the trade from his father, spending his formative years on the waters around Mullet Key. His upbringing in Cortez was marked by a close connection to the sea and the community's maritime traditions. Seeking to broaden his horizons, McDonald enlisted in the Navy, where he acquired technical education and embraced the opportunity to travel.

John Campbell, a resident of Cortez, Florida, has spent his life engaged in the profession of fishing, a trade that runs deep in his family lineage. His career on the water is not only a testament to his personal dedication but also serves as a living history of the fishing industry's evolution. Prior to his full immersion into fishing, Campbell served in the Army, an experience that stands as a distinct chapter in his life.

Henry Clayton Adams was born on August 27, 1921, in Cortez, Florida, to parents Willis Adams and Dora Jean Adams. He was one of nine siblings, with five brothers named Hugh, Leon, Howard, Cleve, and C.D., and three sisters named Pauline, Doris, and Mabel. Henry was married to Pauline Adams for 42 years and had one adopted son. Growing up during the Great Depression, Henry's early life was shaped by the challenges of the era. He pursued a career as a fisherman, a profession deeply rooted in his coastal upbringing.

The narrators are two brothers that have fished together for some time. Both individuals were in their mid to late 50s at the time of the interview and were commercial fishermen fishing for scallop out of Point Pleasant, New Jersey. They were born in Newark, New Jersey.  Their father was a party boat captain and both gained their first experience serving as crew on that party boat. They started off fishing on their own for lobster in the 1970's but very quickly turned to scallops.

The narrator is a semi-retired individual in his mid-60s, residing in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, pursuing fishing as a lifelong endeavor.

This narrator was born and raised in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Despite not coming from a fishing family, he developed a passion for fishing at a young age. The narrator started working for a local fisherman when he was around ten years old, helping with tasks like picking nets and baiting. By the age of twelve, he obtained his own fishing license and began his fishing career. Throughout the interviewee’s fishing career, he primarily focused on gillnetting and fished in various locations, including Point Pleasant and Cape May.

Patrick Fehily, 29 years old at the time of the interview, owns and manages several lobster, gillnet, and scallop boats in Point Pleasant, NJ. Pat did not grow up in a fishing family, but after working as a lobsterboat deckhand in high school and failing to light his spark at college, he decided that fishing was the life for him.

The narrator is a fifty-year-old fishermen who has been fishing since the age of seven, accumulating over 43 years of experience. He has engaged in various types of fishing, including seining for bait and porgies, as well as dragging and lobstering. He owned a 65-foot steel boat, which he had operated for approximately thirty years, in partnership with his father.

This narrator is an experienced commercial fisherman based in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. Born on the island, he  comes from a fishing family. His grandfather was a day clammer for 75 years, and his father was an avid recreational fisherman. Growing up around the water, he developed a strong connection to the fishing industry from an early age. As a teenager, he engaged in various entrepreneurial activities, including selling crabs and working with clams.

The narrator is a passionate and dedicated individual who has spent the majority of his life immersed in the fishing industry. Born in New Jersey, he completed high school and pursued six months of college, focusing on fisheries, before deciding to follow his true calling and embark on a fishing career. Driven by his deep love for the ocean and the thrill of fishing, he left college to pursue his dream. His journey in the fishing industry began on a head boat, where he gained valuable experience and honed his skills.

The narrator is a seasoned commercial fisherman in his early 60s who actively fishes out of Barnegat Light, New Jersey. He began his fishing career before the age of 10 and already assumed the role of a mate by the time he was 14. Throughout his journey, he transitioned to become an owner/operator in the early 1970s, taking full control of his fishing operations. In pursuit of viable fishing opportunities, the narrator temporarily relocated to Florida for a period of 10 years from 1989 to 1990.

The interviewee is a 41-year-old individual born in Forked River, New Jersey. Coming from a fishing family, his father owned a charter boat and engaged in charter fishing in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The interviewee has two daughters and a young son, and while the son has yet to express an interest in fishing, the interviewee is open to encouraging him if he chooses to pursue it. The narrator has been involved in commercial fishing since high school, initially working for others before purchasing his own boat in 1992.

The interviewee is a 46-year-old male fishing out of Barnegat Light, New Jersey. He started off with his father started as a charter captain, then moved into the tilefish fishery, then on into pelagic longlining (swordfish and tuna). More recently he moved into the scallop fishery

Don McDaniels' great-grandfather was Charles Riggin who was the patriarch of a well-known oystering family. Mr. Riggin had the schooners AMELIA RIGGIN, J&E RIGGIN and C.M. RIGGIN. The J&E RIGGIN won the Delaware Bay Schooner Race of 1929. Don started oystering in 1958 and also tonged for seed oysters. But, by 1966 switched to clamming (surf clams and Quahogs). He discussed the clamming schedule and seasons, laws, regulations & permits, and areas he worked out of including Point Pleasant Beach, Barnegat, Atlantic City, Cape May, Maryland and Virginia.

The interviewee, a 58-year-old man born in Cape May in 1947, has spent his entire life in the fishing industry. Coming from a family of fishermen with roots in Norway and Finland, he is a third-generation fisherman. After graduating from high school in 1965, he began fishing full-time and gained experience in various fisheries, including porgies, flounder, yellowtail, and cod. In the early 1970s, he started scalloping as a way to avoid traveling to New England during the summer months. Eventually, he became an owner/operator of his own boats.

This narrator was in his early fifties at the time of the interview. The interviewee is an experienced commercial fisherman from a fishing family with multiple generations involved in the industry. Born and raised in Cape May, the interviewee has been fishing since a young age and learned the trade through practical experience. With a family business focused on fishing, they have been actively involved in the industry, making business decisions and handling bookkeeping responsibilities from a young age.

This narrator is a 45 year old male (at the time of the interview), first-generation fisherman fishing out of Cape May, New Jersey. He was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1960. He grew up in Wildwood, New Jersey, and moved there with his family in 1970. He comes from a family of four boys and did not have any sisters. Despite not coming from a fishing family, he developed an interest in fishing while living in Wildwood. At the age of 19, the interviewee started working on a Virginia boat as a deckhand, breaking into the fishing industry.

The interviewee is a seasoned participant in the fishing industry with a rich familial background in both fishing and farming. His roots trace back to Sweden, where he garnered initial experience in fishing before immigrating to the United States. Settling in Cape May, New Jersey, he witnessed and adapted to significant transformations within the industry, including the shift from wooden to steel vessels and the evolution of fishing techniques and gear.

The narrator was born in Norway and immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve. They initially settled in New Bedford, where they fished for nearly 20 years. In 1976, the narrator moved to Cape May and started operating an 88-foot 'eastern rig' vessel for scalloping. At that time, there were only 3 or 4 full-time scallopers in Cape May.

Nicholas Alfonso was born on May 23, 1965, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Jerry and Ramona Alfonso. He is married to Lisa Christofi Alfonso, and they have two children, Kristy and Misty. Alfonso is a commercial fisherman and a member of the St. Bernard Coastal Advisory Board and the Knights of Columbus. He was interviewed by Stephanie Scull-DeArmey for the University of Southern Mississippi Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage on April 24, 2012. Alfonso currently resides in Louisiana and has been a commercial fisherman for a significant period.

Interview with John Watson, born May 23, 1948 in Baton Rouge, LA. At the time of the interview he was retired from NOAA Fisheries and working as a consultant. He had been Director of the Mississippi Laboratories in Pascagoula, Mississippi overseeing all of the lab operations.

Larry Ryan, a Pascagoula fisherman, discusses his career mullet-fishing, shrimping, oystering, and crabbing.

Mr. McIlwain Rogers is a commercial fisherman and restaurant owner on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Rogers was born September 19, 1946, in Escatawpa, Mississippi, to Mr. Mackie Rogers (born January 17, 1916, in Escatawpa, Mississippi) and Mrs. Lois Kelly Rogers (born in Claire, Mississippi). His father was the owner of a hardware store, a house builder, and a crabber. His father’s family from North Carolina were in the sawmill business. His mother was a welder at Ingalls Shipbuilders during World War II. Her family were farmers. On February 24, 1995, he married his wife Lawanda.

Mr. Wesley Howard Stork is a retired commercial fisherman on Gulf Coast. Stork was born on December 12, 1926, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, to Mr. Henry Wilson Stork (born in Leavenworth, Kansas) and Mrs. Hattie Belle Clark Stork (born in Pascagoula, Mississippi). His father was a commercial fisherman and the owner of a merchandise store. His mother was a housewife, who worked in the family store. Stork’s father’s name was Hinklemeyer (sp?), and he changed his surname to Stork, which was his mother’s maiden name.

Jennifer M. Buchanan is an educator at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, serving as the education coordinator. She has been involved in oral history projects, particularly focused on capturing the experiences and knowledge of individuals with a deep understanding of the coastal areas. Buchanan's work involves collaborating with researchers to design and conduct studies to understand significant events and changes in the coastal environment.

Mr. Gerald William Bosarge was born on November 13, 1934, in Pecan, Mississippi, to Mr. Charles Bosarge and Mrs. Bosarge (born Saksa, in Finland). He is married to Mrs. Harriet Janice Zirlott (born in Coden, Alabama on June 27, 1945). They have two children, Gerald William Bosarge Jr. and Lori Ann Bosarge. At the time of this interview, Mr. Bosarge was retired from commercial fishing, and after forty years of fishing for a living, he currently fishes for fun and sustenance. He is from a multi-generational fishing family, with ancestors who fished on both sides of his family. 

David Burrage was born January 7, 1953 in Hampton, Virginia. He attended Old Dominion University where he received a science degree then attended University of Rhode Island for his graduate studies in Marine Affairs. He works with the Sea Grant Extension Program in Mississippi and is an Extension Professor.

Interview with Walter Chataginer, Chief of Marine Patrol for the State of Mississippi Dept. of Marine Resources.  Interview contains information on enforcing federal TED laws, reactions toward conservation measures by the fishing industry, general information on the shrimping industry and narrator's recollections of working on shrimping vessels.

Interview with Donald Baker, born on October 2, 1939 on Deer Island, Mississippi.  Baker is a shrimp fisherman who speaks about his use of TEDs, changes in the shrimping industry, equipment, fishing techniques and procedures, business aspects of operating a vessel. Other Topics: Hurricane Camille of 1947, growing up on coast, prices of fuel and supplies, profits, fish species, fisheries management

William Stanley "Corky" Perret was born November 22, 1942 in Cottonport, Louisiana.  He attended USL where he obtained a Master’s degree in Fishery Science. Mr.

Interview with Noah Saunders, born September 21, 1963 in Biloxi, MS. Saunders was a gear manufacturer who invented the Supershooter TED in collaboration with National Marine Fisheries Services.

Thomas Schultz Jr. was born in Biloxi, Mississippi October 22, 1932. Thomas was a 3rd generation shrimper. After forty-five years of shrimping, he retired then went to work for the Mississippi State University at the coastal research experimental seafood processing plant in Pascagoula for twelve years. His first job was at a bakery where his uncle was the baker. He quit school at the age of fourteen to work on his daddy’s boat. He was involved in a summer research program at Cape Canaveral Channel tagging turtles.

When Leroy Duvall refers to himself as one of the younger people, it's despite his 64 years, but it's without a trace of irony. Part of it is that he is the President of the Fleur de Lis Society, a club half the size of what it once was because its membership is slowly passing from old age. And part of it is that, after 30 years of shrimping on the Gulf, his body still feels young. Eventually, the economic repercussions of endangered turtles forced him to retire from shrimping, and when Hurricane Katrina washed away his bakery, he retired from that, too. Mr.

Mr. Frank Parker is a lifelong commercial fisherman in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was born on July 4, 1973, in Biloxi, Mississippi, to Mr. Olin Boyce Parker (born April 13, 1944, in Pascagoula, Mississippi) and Mrs. Velma Elaine Terry Parker (born January 26, 1945). His father was a fisherman and a furniture refinisher from 1964 to 1999. His father’s family were farmers in the Mississippi Delta. His mother was a homemaker. His mother’s family were watermen, including fishermen, ship captains, and ship pilots.

Mrs. Hang Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American, the wife of a shrimper, and a resident of East Biloxi, Mississippi. She was the only child of Binh Nguyen and Nhung Nguyen, born in 1968 in Can Tho, South Vietnam. Her father, who passed away in Seattle, Washington in 2009, served in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army). Her mother worked in the home. After the fall of South Vietnam, Mrs. Nguyen’s father was sent to reeducation camp. It was then that her mother had to go to work selling fish, coffee, and fabrics in different places.

Mrs. Hoa Thi Pham is a Vietnamese-American living in Biloxi, Mississippi, who made nets for a living in her native land, Vietnam.  She was born in 1953 in Duc Pho, South Vietnam. In 1966 she went to live temporarily with her grandfather’s brother in Vung Tau to be protected from the dangerous fighting in her home region. Mrs. Pham’s father grew rice and potatoes on their farm and her mother had a convenience store. Mrs. Pham had one younger brother. She married Mr. Luu Thai, a shrimper who was from her village. Mrs.

Mr. Thang "Peter" Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American, former shrimper, now community liaison for Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center.  He was born in 1967 in Vung Tau, South Vietnam. His parents were fisherfolk and told him the story of escaping Vietnam in the family boat two weeks before the Communists took over South Vietnam, when Mr. Nguyen was just eight years old.

Reverend Suong Ngoc Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American living in Biloxi, Mississippi, serving the Vietnamese community, there, many of whom work in the fisheries system. Nguyen was born, one of four children, in 1944 in Cambodia (to Vietnamese parents), but was raised in Tay Ninh Province in South Vietnam. Her grandfather was a leader of the Cao Dai religious group in Tay Ninh Province. Her father sold goods in a market and disappeared one day in 1946 during the French-Viet Minh war.

Even in a town like Biloxi, it's not often someone can claim seven generations of fishing heritage. The line in Frank Parker's family may have stopped at six when his parents pushed him to go to college and consider other lines of work, but the years of growing up playing on the dock had him pretty well convinced he was going to go back out onto the Gulf. So at 24 years old, 12 credits shy of graduating, Frank decided to listen to the sirens and bought himself a boat. The funny thing, though, is that his parents listened to them too.

Corky Hire may have had an inauspicious beginning to his shrimping career, taking over for his ailing father, but now 70 years later, his memories of working the Gulf are almost all fond ones. His time on boats, through the 30's and 40's, was during a time when Biloxi's seafood industry was growing tremendously and ail schooners were being replaced by powered boats, and Croatian families were making the shift from immigrant laborers to cannery owners and professionals.

Georgo Trojanovich is, as he says, "The only real Croatian in Biloxi." But in a city as proud as this one is of its Croatian heritage, everyone here knows what he means: with the arrival of Croatian families tailing off by the second half of the 20th century, Georgo is one of the few - yes, perhaps only - Croatian-born immigrants in town. A distant relative of a local restaurateur, Georgo came as a teenager to escape Tito's Communist regime, working as a dishwasher at Mary Mahoney's restaurant.

Khang V. Dang is a Vietnamese-American shrimper living in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mr. Khang V. Dang was born April 20, 1954, one of eleven children, in the port city of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam. Mr. Dang’s parents originated from the Go Cong district in the Mekong Delta region. He learned fishing and net making from his father and grandfather; his mother cooked and baked and sold her goods, along with fish and shrimp, in the market. Mr. Dang joined the Army of the Republic of Vietnam in 1971, serving as security for his home area of Vung Tau until 1975. Mr.

Mr. Joseph D. Jewel (b. 1957) is deputy director of the Office of Marine Fisheries at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. He was born in 1959 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the small fishing community in east Biloxi known as the Point. His parents were Mr. Thomas Jewell and Mrs. Betty Jane Seymour Jewell. He was the second son in a family of six sons and one daughter. Following the return of his parents to his father’s ancestral home in Oregon, Joe was raised by his maternal grandparents in a commercial fishing family.

Kim Dai Dinh is a Vietnamese-American, living in East Biloxi, who worked in seafood processing plants.

Mr. Tuan Tran is a Vietnamese-American shrimper living in Biloxi, Mississippi. Tran was born on July 28, 1963, one of seven children, in Nha Trang, South Vietnam. Mr. Tran’s father died in battle, serving in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, when Mr. Tran was twelve years of age. Upon his father’s death, Mr. Tran quit school to help his mother make a living to support selling produce and other goods in the market. In 1986 Mr. Tran was out fishing when he made a sudden decision to escape Vietnam when approached by others who were escaping.

Mr. Thomas J. Schultz Jr. is a retired commercial fisherman in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was born on October 22, 1932, in Biloxi, Mississippi, to Mr. Thomas J. Schultz Sr. (born June 25, 1907, in Bon Secour, Alabama) and Mrs. Ophelia A. Quigley Schultz (born November 25, 1908, in Biloxi, Mississippi). His father was a fisherman and a boatbuilder. His father’s paternal lineage was Danish. His maternal lineage was Mississippi Native American. His mother was a housewife who also worked in the seafood processing industry.

Mr. William W. Walker is a resident of the Gulf Coast. At the time of this interview he was Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Walker was born on September 16, 1945, in Hammond, Louisiana, to Mr. and Mrs. William Byrd Walker. Mr. Walker attended Hammond High School, Southeastern Louisiana University for his bachelor’s degree, and Mississippi State University for his master’s and doctoral degrees, graduating in 1972. He married Sharon H.

Mr. Walter Eley Ross Sr. is a retired commercial fisherman on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  He was born on March 16, 1924, in Biloxi, Mississippi,to Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Ross. His father was a commercial fisherman, house builder, and boat builder. His mother was a housewife. Mr. Ross began fishing with his father commercially when he was a teenager, and he continued in that profession for fifty-three years. Ross also served in the US Air Force, achieving the rank of sergeant. He is a Catholic.

Reverend Daniel Quan Nguyen was born, one of five children, on July 15, 1941, in Tay Ninh Province (east of Saigon), South Vietnam. His parents were farmers and his father died when he was just a year old. Reverend Nguyen attended high school and university in Saigon, studying science and law, then becoming a high school math teacher. From 1968 to 1975, he served as an infantry commander in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army). He was stationed with the Fourth Battalion Regiment of the Seventh Division in the Mekong Delta.

Earl Ross is a commercial shrimper in the Gulf of Mexico. Ross was born on December 13, 1947, in Biloxi, Mississippi, to Mr. Wildon Ross (born April 22, 1922, in Biloxi) and Mrs. Ruth Wallis Ross) born September 27, 1929). His father was a police officer, taxicab owner, and shrimper in Biloxi. His mother was a bookkeeper. His father’s family were shrimpers who owned local businesses, including grocery stores, clothing stores, and taxicabs. His mother’s family were shrimpers and bakers. On November 17, 1968, he married his wife, Charlene (born December 14, 1947).

Mr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux Jr. was born in 1949 to Edmond Boudreaux Sr. and Nita Mae Thomas Boudreaux. He is the third of eight children. He is married to Virginia L. Bertucci Boudreaux, and they have three sons, Edmond Boudreaux III, Brandon Boudreaux, and Marcus Boudreaux. Boudreaux is a 1967 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was an AT&T service technician from 1973 until 2010, when he retired.

Mr. Clyde Leslie Brown was born July 1, 1932, in Pecan, Mississippi, to Nathaniel Richard Brown (born November 22, 1901, in Canoe, Alabama) and Mary Edna Stork Brown (born February 28, 1906, in Pecan, Mississippi). His father was a farmer who ran a general store in Canoe, Alabama, and his mother was a housewife. His mother’s father was a commercial fisherman in Jackson County, Mississippi, who ran a general store in Pecan, Mississippi. On September 4, 1955, he married Annie Marie Jones.

Oliver Goldsmith Brown IV is a retired oil field engineer who worked on a sailing, commercial fishing vessel as a teenager in the 1950s in the Gulf of Mexico. Brown was born on December 3, 1940, in Morton, Mississippi. He grew up in Morton and later moved to Mobile, Alabama, where he lived with his uncle and aunt. Brown's family had a history of involvement in the fishing industry, and he began working as a fisherman at a young age. 

Ran Bui is a Vietnamese-American shrimper in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mr. Ran Bui was born in 1960, one of eleven children, and raised in the port city of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam. Mr. Bui’s parents are originally from Hai Phong in the north of Vietnam. His father, Canh Bui, was a member of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army) and a fisherman; his mother, Mau Thi Nguyen, fished with the family and worked for a seafood company processing oysters and shrimp. Mr. Bui began fishing with his father at age eleven.

Nick Collins, born in 1971 in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a fourth-generation commercial fisherman primarily involved in oystering. His family's business, the Collins Oyster Company, has a longstanding reputation along the Gulf Coast and nationwide. Collins' expertise in oystering has been passed down through generations, shaping his deep understanding of the industry. 

George Henry Sprinkle was interviewed on August 22, 2008. This interview was very productive because it took place on the site of Mr. Sprinkle?s net shop and footage of a shrimp net being constructed was filmed. Both men used to shrimp and own their own boats. However, both are retired from the shrimping industry because of high costs of maintaining a boat. The two spoke about the shrimping industry in the past and present, in addition to discussing the techniques and materials used in shrimp net making.

Mr. Milton Zirlott is a retired commercial fisherman on the Gulf Coast. Zirlott was born on December 29, 1925, to Ellis Zirlott (born 1898 in Fowl River, Alabama) and Nittie Rhodes Zirlott (born around 1906 in Bayou LaBatre, Alabama). His father was a commercial shrimp fisherman and a boat-builder. His mother’s father was a net-maker. Zirlott went to school at Alba in Bayou LaBatre, Alabama. He had one brother, Robert Zirlott.

Joseph Gregory Ladnier, who goes by Greg is owner/operator of Sea Pearl Seafood Co., Bayou La Batre, AL, which specializes in wild caught American shrimp.

B.G. Thompson, whose family has been in the seafood industry another for generations, in one way or another, was interviewed on August 22, 2008. Mr. Thompson spoke of his family's involvement in the seafood industry, which included oystering and shrimping. Mr. Thompson related that his father used to own an oyster canning plant in Coden, Alabama and brought an empty can he has kept over the years to show us. Mr. Thompson, who worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service for 27 years, also spoke in great detail about regulations that have affected the fishing industry in the area.

Brett S. Dungan's interview took place on August 5, 2008 on location at Master Marine. Mr. Dungan, president and general manager of Master Marine, discussed the changes in commercial boat building over time and more specifically the changes that Master Marine has witnessed over time. It was relayed that Master Marine has gone through several stages which included building wooden shrimp boats, then steel shrimp boats. Master Marine has also built numerous boats for foreign countries which included several West African countries.

Minh Van Le, of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, was interviewed on September 10, 2008. Mr. Le is branch manager of Boat People SOS in Bayou La Batre. In addition, Mr. Le owns two shrimp boats. In the 1970's Bayou La Batre experienced and influx of refugees from Asian countries. Boat People SOS helps refugees get integrated into communities around the country. Mr. Le also discussed current conditions in the seafood industry and the role Asians have played in the seafood industry and Bayou La Batre in general. Lastly, Mr.

Bryan E. Cumbie is a commercial fisherman from Bayou LaBatre, Alabama. Cumbie began his fishing career in 1996, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Billy Johnson, who taught him the trade. He has been involved in commercial fishing since the 1970s and has spent most of his life in Bayou LaBatre. Cumbie's experience in the fishing industry spans several decades, and he has witnessed the impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster on the Gulf Coast fisheries. 

Avery Bates, of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, was interviewed on several occasions. Mr. Bates is president of the Organized Seafood Association of Alabama (OSAA). Mr. Bates spoke on past and current conditions of the seafood industry, in addition to various aspects of laws and regulations affecting the industry. Mr. Bates was also instrumental in providing contacts within the fishing community.

Biographical Sketch

Interview with Wilber Seidel, born August 15, 1939 in Luling, Texas. At the time of the interview, Seidel was retired as Division Director of the NMFS laboratory in Pascagoula, Mississippi where he was in charge of gear research.

Mike Le is a Vietnamese-American shrimper living in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Mr. Mike Le was born in 1953 near the town of Rach Gia in the Kien Giang Province of South Vietnam, where his family had a coconut and rice farm. In addition to farming, his father taught martial arts.  Mr. Le escaped from Vietnam by boat with his uncle, cousins, and others, totally fifty-two people, in 1978. After spending five months in Pulau Tengah, Malaysia, he landed in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1979. Soon after, Mr.

Le Van Dong is a Vietnamese-American shrimper living in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Mr. Le Van Dong was born January 9, 1958, one of three children, in My Tho, South Vietnam. In 1968, Mr. Dong moved to the port city of Vung Tau, South Vietnam. Mr. Dong’s father was a guard in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army), and took responsibility for raising his young children upon the early death of Mr. Dong’s mother. Mr. Dong began catching and selling fish at the age of fourteen to help support his family. Mr.

Mr. William “Billy” Thiroux is a commercial fisherman on the Gulf Coast.  Thiroux was born on July 4, 1937, in Biloxi, Mississippi, to Mr. Louis Thiroux and Mrs. Katherine Pauli Thiroux. His father was a commercial fisherman. His mother worked in the seafood plants as a shrimp picker and a crab picker. His mother’s family were commercial fishermen. Mr. Thiroux finished the eleventh grade, and thereupon joined the US Navy.