Eben Nieuwkerk, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is the owner-operator of two gillnet and lobster boats in Portland and Kennebunkport, ME.

Scope and Content Note

Jake Griffin, 27 years old at the time of the interview, is a North Carolina fisherman specializing in niche fisheries such as shark fishing and the haul seine fishery (a traditional method of fishing from the beach with a skiff and a truck). Located at an ecological boundary, he targets various populations of sharks as they migrate down from the North and up from the South throughout the year. Jake's biggest worry is that public misunderstanding about the shark fishery will lead to management measures that shut him out of the fisheries he has invested in.

James Leonard, 34 years old at the time of the interview, is the owner-operator of the F/V Briana James, an inshore dragger in Point Judith, RI. James comes from a fishing family and spent his twenties working on large offshore freezer vessels to save money. Then, with indispensable moral support from his wife and the boat-building expertise of his extended family, he brought a boat down from Nova Scotia and spent over a year rebuilding it for dragging in Rhode Island.

Scope and Content Note

Crystal Jordan, 33 years old at the time of the interview, is the owner-operator of a blue crab and oyster vessel in Solomon's Island, MD. As the daughter of a fishermen, she grew up on the water, and took over her father's operation at the age of 20 when he passed away from cancer. Her vessel is called "Some Beach." 

Scope and Content Note

Gus Lovgren, 33 years old at the time of the interview, is a captain and crewmember on the F/V Kailey Ann in Point Pleasant, NJ. Gus is the fourth generation in his family to fish East Coast waters, but maybe not the last: his five-year-old daughter has dreams of carrying on the family legacy, someday.

Scope and Content Note

Jake Eaton, 26 years old at the time of the interview, works as his father-in-law's sternman on the F/V Last Penny and operator of a lobster skiff, the F/V Eyesore in Portsmouth, NH. He comes from a long line of fishing families in Downeast Maine, and he finds it fulfilling to continue the family tradition. He grew up in Seacoast New Hampshire and went to high school in Dover. His father and grandfather were involved in fishing, with his grandfather being a lobsterman.

Dustin Delano, 28 years old at the time of the interview, is owner-operator of the F/V Knotty Lady, a lobster boat out of Friendship, Maine. Dustin started fishing at age 11, the fourth generation in his family to follow this line of work. After taking a meandering path through higher education, he wound up back in his hometown doing what he loves: lobstering. He is one of several captains to capitalize on ecological changes by developing a menhaden seine fishery in Midcoast Maine.

Dustin Westman, 32 years old at the time of the interview, is a crab, oyster, and gillnet fisherman in Heathsville, Virginia. He started fishing with his dad at age 4, and by age 12, he had his own boat.

Scope and Content Note

Joe Kowalsky, 31 years old at the time of the interview, is an oyster farmer and fishermen in Milford, Bridgeport, and Stratford, CT. He owns and operates multiple boats, including the Sea Skimmer, LeClair, Mohawk, and a Carolina skiff. Joe is primarily focused on oyster farming but also engages in wild fisheries for additional income. He found his way to fishing after putting aside societal notions that there is no money to be made on the water.

James Reilly, 33 years old at the time of the interview, is a captain of a clam vessel based out of Oceanside, NY and Atlantic City, NJ. James grew up on Long Island as the son of a fisherman, and despite discouragement from his mother, he wound up working as crew for his father and then taking over his father's captain job when his father retired. He operates the fishing vessel Ocean Girl, targeting surf clams and ocean quahogs with hydraulic dredges. 

Ken Murgo, 31 years old at the time of his interview, is a diversified fisherman in Narragansett Bay, RI. With his father, Ken fishes for conchs, lobsters, quahogs, and a variety of different finfish on the F/V Johnny B. In his interview, he talks about his parents' expectations that he would enter medical school after college, his inevitable return to full-time fishing in spite of these expectations, and the interest he feels in fisheries science and cooperative research.

Scope and Content Note

Lyle Peele, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is a fifth generation waterman in Manteo, NC. Lyle and his family have seen the industry change, and his feelings about it are complex. He owns three boats and has diversified his fishing methods to adapt to changing conditions.

Scope and Content Note

Lenny Russo, 27 years old at the time of his interview, describes working as the relief captain of a fleet boat in Portland, ME, after growing up working on a family fishing boat in Gloucester MA. Lenny is also the owner-operator of a seasonal salmon gillnet vessel in Bristol Bay, AK. 

Scope and Content Note

Lucas Raymond, 28 years old at the time of the interview, is a deckhand and relief captain on the F/V Witchcraft in Rye, NH.

Scope and Content Note

Kelsey Aiken, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is a fisherman and co-manager (along with his brother) of a fish packing house in Hatteras, NC founded by his father. The company focuses mainly on gillnet fishing for flounder and sells a range of seafood caught in the Pamlico Sound and the ocean to a variety of markets, including New York's Fulton Fish Market, Boston, Canada, California, and local outlets.

Scope and Content Note

Jared Bennett, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is owner-operator of the F/V White Cap, a gillnet vessel, with his younger brother and a friend, going on 36-hour fishing trips targeting monkfish, skates, and dogfish out of Chatham and Harwichport, MA. Jared bought his gillnet license and started fishing without any prior experience as a deckhand. 

Mike Blanton, 33 years old at the time of the interview, is a blue crab and gillnet fisherman in Elizabeth City, NC. Mike operates multiple vessels for different fisheries in the Albemarle Sound area. He started fishing as a teenager after taking a summer job at a crab house. After a decade in the military and government contracting, he returned to the coast to fish full-time.

Peyton Mason, 23 years old at the time of his interivew, is an oyster and crab fisherman in Deep Creek, VA. Peyton didn't grow up fishing, but fell in love with it in 8th grade after watching other fishermen come in with their catch. It was not long before he obtained a waterman license, began harvesting oysters and crabs, and eventually built his way up to owning the F/V Emilie Virginia, a Chesapeake deadrise. But his ambitions don't stop there; Peyton has done stints on shrimping and scalloping boats to get exposure to fisheries in other areas, too.

Scott Wivell, age 29 at the time of his interview, is a waterman in Cape Charles, VA. Scott grew up fishing with his father and is now the owner-operator of the F/V Lady Lynnae, which he uses for gillnettting, crabbing and oystering. Scott markets some of his own catch and thinks about having a retail market someday.

Scope and Content Note

Parker Poole, 31 years old at the time of the interview, runs a marine salvage and towing business and fishes commercially on the side in Portland, ME. Despite lobstering in high school, he did not log enough hours to meet the qualification criteria to receive a Maine lobster license, so he made the decision not to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time fisherman.

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.

Nicole Saunders, 20 years old at the time of the interview, oysters and charter fishes with her father in Weems, VA. With the exception of a semester of college, which didn't captivate her attention, Nicole has spent her entire life around the water. Nicole's family has a long history in the waterman profession, with her dad and his grandfather being watermen.

Scope and Content Note

Matthew Peabody, 30 years old at the time of the interview, is a scallop boat captain out of Newport News, VA. He's the fourth generation in his family to work on the water. Matthew's family sold their fleet of scallop boats to Blue Harvest, a company that has expanded into a larger fleet. He now operates two scallop boats for that company, the Blue Canyon and the Blue Cove.

Scope and Content Note

''Iki" Moir is the only child of Hector Moir and Alexandria Knudson Moir. Hector Moir was the manager of Koloa Sugar Company from 1933 to 1948; he stepped down when Koloa Sugar Company merged with Grove Farm. Alexandria Knudson Moir is a descendent of the Sinclair, Gay and Robinson families who owned Ni'ihau and parts of Kaua'i.

On April 5, 1988, Nancy Solomon interviewed Brad Keene as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Brad is a seasoned boatman with a deep-rooted connection to his family's maritime legacy. The Keene family has a rich history in Freeport, as Brad's grandfather, Henry Uktch, founded the Freeport Boatman's Association. Brad traces his family lineage back to his great-grandfather, Van Schaaner, who had a fish market in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Hannah Cinnemantaro is a marine observer with a rich family history in the marine industry. Born and raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts, Hannah grew up close to the ocean, influenced by her parents, who both worked in the marine industry. Her mother worked on a Whale Watch since she was pregnant with Hannah, and her father worked on another Whale Watch boat and in the marine industry with oil riggers. Hannah's love for the ocean led her to an internship on a whale watch out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she collected quantitative and qualitative data on humpbacks on Stellwagen Bank.

Raymond Ellsworth Dyer's life has been deeply intertwined with the manual and agricultural labor traditions of his community. His first job, as he recounts, was driving cows, a task that he began at a young age, showcasing his early introduction to the responsibilities and rhythms of rural work. This experience would have provided him with a foundational understanding of animal husbandry and the daily demands of farm life. Raymond's work history is diverse, including time spent working for Mr.

Interview with Kim Lowther

The Tucker family, like so many of the West Sayville residents of Dutch heritage, earned their living on the Great South Bay or in the associated industries. John Tucker is a resident of West Table, New York, born on August 5, 1898. He grew up in a household with his six sisters, including his sister Mildred Tucker. With the exception of an older sister, born in 1896, none of the children married. All the boys in the family went on to become baymen. They all lived together in their family home.

Karen Jones Cody is a native of Smiths Borough in Knott County, Kentucky, where she has deep familial roots and a rich personal history. As co-owner and editor of the Troublesome Creek Times, Cody has a strong connection to her community and a passion for storytelling. Her childhood was marked by a love for reading and writing, and she attended multiple schools, which likely contributed to her broad perspective and understanding of her community.

Edmond Watson is a former hydrographer and research associate who has been involved with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In the early 1930s, Watson was appointed as a hydrographer on the International Passamaquoddy Fisheries Commission, a project aimed at studying the impact of dam construction on the herring fishery along the East Coast. During this time, Watson became acquainted with Dr. Bigelow, a professor at Harvard who had established the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Dr.

Ralph Sandora was born on July 3, 1943, in Clarksburg, West Virginia. His family moved to Center Point, West Virginia, in 1957 when he was 13 years old. His father, an immigrant from Italy, arrived in the United States at the age of 11, while his mother was born in the United States to Italian parents. Ralph grew up in a close-knit family with two sisters. He pursued a career as a school bus driver in Doddridge County, West Virginia, and retired from this position.

Randy Moyer was born on July 20, 1963, and raised in Portage, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a close-knit community where outdoor activities like hunting and fishing were common. Moyer started working at the age of 13 and eventually became a long-haul truck driver, a profession he pursued for 18 years. He drove across the East Coast, covering over 3 million miles, and owned two tractor-trailers. Moyer's pride and joy is his son, with whom he shares a deep bond, engaging in various activities like fishing and riding a go-kart.

Otto Rutten is the Associate Operations Director at the Aquarius Reef Base underwater laboratory in Key Largo, Florida. Born and raised in Key Largo, Rutten developed a passion for marine biology from a young age, inspired by watching Jacques Cousteau on television. Despite his early fascination with marine science, Rutten pursued engineering at North Carolina State University and later worked for the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries while completing a master’s program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW).

Walter Japp, born on December 28, 1940, in Duluth, MN, spent most of his life in Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida. He was a veteran of the US Army. Walter graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in marine biology. For 35 years, he worked as a coral reef ecologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. After retirement, Walter co-founded Lithophyte Research, focusing on evaluating and replacing damaged coral reefs.

Mary Ridgeway is a lifelong resident of Tompkinsville, a location situated between Newburg and Rock Point. She is the daughter of Emma M. Jackson and Sankston Walter Jackson, and she grew up in a family of six children, with three brothers and two sisters. Her father was a farmer and a skilled carpenter who also worked the river, while her mother was a homemaker. Ridgeway graduated from high school at the age of sixteen and soon after began working at an oyster house at Rock Point, which was established by Mr. Coulby.

Manny Toledo is an experienced fisherman hailing from a family with deep fishing traditions. Growing up in a fishing household, he honed his skills in Cuba before migrating to Miami, where he continued the family legacy of building and selling high-quality commercial traps. Known for his expertise in trap building and as a dealer for fellow fishermen, Toledo is a respected figure in the fishing community.

Bob Rich is a native of Miami, where he spent his entire life and built a successful career in the maritime industry. His journey into the maritime business began with his father, who was initially an engineer for Pan Am but later ventured into entrepreneurship, starting a small business that eventually evolved into selling marine electronics. The industry was relatively small at the time, with no pressing need for radios and depth finders, but it has since grown and transformed with the advent of technologies like the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Wanda Guy, born Wanda Smith Lilliston, a native of Deep Creek, Virginia, is the daughter of a waterman (George F. Smith) and was formerly married to Gus Lilliston, also a waterman. Her life story is deeply intertwined with the watermen culture of Eastern Shore, Virginia, a lineage that traces back to her father's dedication to the seafood industry. She grew up in the Deep Creek area on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (near OnancockHer upbringing was marked by the rhythms of her father's work on the water, which left an indelible impression on her life and values.

Luis Esteban Garcia was born on June 18, 1970, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, Florida. He spent his early childhood near the Miami River before moving to the Roads neighborhood at age seven. Garcia attended Louisiana State University from 1988 to 1991. His family has a long history in the fishing industry, originating in Cuba. After the Cuban Revolution, his father and uncles were forced to work for the regime, leading to their exile to Miami.

Roy Ballard is a long-term inhabitant of the Eastern Shore with deep familial ties to the local seafood industry. His lineage is closely associated with the Ballard Fish and Oyster Company, a business that has been a significant part of his family's heritage. Ballard's personal history is interwoven with the maritime culture of the region, and he has spent a portion of his career working as a carpenter.

Victor Pruitt is a seasoned professional in the seafood industry with a rich family history in the trade. Mr. Pruitt and his family were from Onancock, Virginia, and owned and operated buyboats on the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River throughout the 1960's and 70's. They bought and sold seafood using these boats, primarily in Washington, D.C. Among the buyboats they owned and operated were the Lester, Thelma Earl, and the Ruth and Annie.

Captain Carl William Fisher, NOAA (retired) was born in Canandaigua, New York on April 12, 1942.  He graduated from Canandaigua Academy in 1960 and was honored as a Graduate of Distinction in 2019.  He graduated from the State University of New York Maritime College in 1965 with a U. S. Merchant Marine License and a B.S. degree in Meteorology and Oceanography.  He was Commissioned as an Officer in the U.S.

Dr. Russell Schnell is a distinguished scientist with a remarkable career dedicated to environmental research and monitoring. His journey began as a teenager when he joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadet squadron. At the age of 18, he embarked on his first international trip as part of the inaugural Air Cadet exchange program with Israel. During his first year of graduate studies in 1968, Dr. Schnell made a groundbreaking discovery of biological ice nuclei, which has now become a distinct and actively researched field.

Michael Landa was born in Cuba in 1949 and immigrated to the United States in 1957 at the age of eight. Settling near the Miami River in Miami, Florida, Landa developed an early interest in fishing despite having no family background in the industry. By 1974, he began his career as a commercial fisherman, initially focusing on crawfishing. In 1982, he acquired his own boat and expanded his fishing activities to include ballyhoo and hook-and-line fishing.

On September 15, 2002, Nancy Solomon of Long Island Traditions interviewed Bill Hamilton, a member of the Brookhaven Baymens' Association, in Patchogue, New York. Hamilton provided a detailed history of the Brookhaven Baymens' Association, founded in the 1970s, and its initial focus on clamming issues. Key figures in its early days included Grant and John Mensal, Doc Murray, and Mario Carrera. Hamilton discussed various challenges faced by the Association, such as price fixing, reciprocal agreements between townships, and attempts to limit licenses.

Wan Ho was born in Canton, China, in 1952. He moved to the United States in 1974 at the age of 22, initially residing in New York. He began his career in the seafood industry working for a dealer in New York, where he conducted research on conch meat, also known as whelk, and facilitated its export to China. In 2010, Wan transitioned to the lobster industry, establishing connections with commercial fishermen in Florida. By 2011, he founded his own business, focusing on exporting live spiny lobsters and golden crabs to China.

Dan Aherne, the chief executive of New England Seafood, has been with the company since 2003, specializing in sales and marketing of fast-moving consumer goods. Prior to joining New England Seafood, Aherne worked with Unilever, gaining experience in sales and marketing. His focus at New England Seafood has been on the marketing of wild salmon, a product the company has been selling since 1998.

On March 8, 1988, Nancy Solomon interviewed Bob Doxsee Jr. as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Bob's family has a long history in the fishing industry on Long Island. Bob begins by recounting his childhood experiences living in a house on Meadow Island, which was only accessible by boat. He describes the unique features of the house, such as the kerosene stove and lamps, rain barrel, and artesian well.

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 haul-out facility.  Banyas began fishing with his grandfather around the age of ten or twelve, starting with repairing cast-off nets and progressing to fishing full-time after high school. His primary fishing activities included mullet fishing, as well as catching mackerel, pompano, and trout.

We lost everything in a matter of hours.

On December 8, 2003, Nancy Solomon interviewed Cory Weyant, a bayman and dragger fisherman from Freeport, New York.  Cory discusses the significant changes he has witnessed in his fishing career over the past fifteen years, reflecting on the decline of fish populations and the impact of overfishing. He describes the transition from small trawlers and local fish markets to the current state where strict regulations and reduced fish populations have drastically altered the fishing industry.

This oral history interview, conducted on July 1, 2000, by Steve Warwick for Long Island Traditions, features Donald Allen Bevelander, a long-time bayman from Sayville, New York. Born on June 17, 1912, in West Sayville, Bevelander provides a detailed account of his life and experiences working on the Great South Bay. He discusses his early life, including moving to Sayville in 1940 and his service during World War II. Bevelander recalls his involvement in community activities, such as organizing the Sayville Little League and serving in the Sayville Fire Department for several decades.

Bill Marinaccio, born and raised in Freeport, New York, is the son of Captain Carmine Marinaccio, a well-known charter boat captain. Growing up in a maritime environment, Bill was introduced to the fishing industry at a young age. He began helping his father with boat maintenance as a child and progressed to more significant roles, including first mate on his father's charter boat. Bill pursued higher education, attending college in 1962, before enlisting in the Army and serving as a military intelligence special agent during the Vietnam War.

On December 8, 1989, Nancy Solomon interviewed Charles Brower, a former cod fisherman from Baldwin. Brower, who began fishing at fifteen, comes from a lineage of fishermen, with his father and uncles also deeply involved in the trade. The interview delves into the evolution of fishing techniques and equipment, particularly the use of gillnets and the transition from cotton to nylon lines. Brower describes the process of gillnetting and cod fishing, highlighting the seasonal nature of these activities and the physical demands involved.

The traditional baymen’s position on the island has been death by a thousand paper cuts, just one law after another law after another law, until, eventually, it’s not that there’s no money to be made out there.  It’s that it’s so much stuff you have to put up with, with all the boat traffic and all the laws and the licenses you have to deal with and law enforcement agencies.  You just don’t see young people getting into it anymore.

Thomas Jefferies, born in 1955, is a commercial fisherman from Freeport, Long Island. Raised on the bay, Jefferies was influenced by his grandparents, who owned a fishing station. After attempting various career paths, including teaching and other jobs, Jefferies found his way back to the bay in his late twenties, deciding to pursue fishing full-time. He has been dedicated to this profession for over three decades. Jefferies specializes in catching and supplying bait to local fishing stations and charter boats, focusing on species like mussels, spearing, sand eels, and squid.

Michael Combs was born on July 3, 1968, and grew up in Freeport and Baldwin, Long Island. He has spent his entire life connected to the bay house tradition, which was central to his family's way of life. From a young age, Combs was introduced to various maritime activities by his father and grandfather, including crabbing, clamming, fishing, and boating. His grandfather, George Carmen, played a significant role in teaching him these skills. As Combs matured, he transitioned these activities into a commercial venture, making a living through crabbing and clamming.

It was a living nightmare.  Something I never want to experience again because besides the waters being closed for clamming, you couldn’t even drive through town.  There were boats in the roads everywhere.  It took a couple of weeks for bulldozers to get rid of boats.  There were boats blocking people’s front doors.  Boats that knocked down fences.  it was devastation.  The more you think about it, the more you remember.

Ken Mades, born and raised in Hampton Bays, New York, comes from a long line of baymen, with his family residing in Southampton town since 1657 and in Hampton Bays since 1740. His grandfather and father both worked on the bay, instilling in him the skills and knowledge necessary for a life tied to the water. Mades briefly pursued a career on Wall Street after high school, attending the New York Institute of Finance. However, he returned to Hampton Bays to raise his family, continuing the family tradition of bay work.

Gene Barr, Carl Miller, and David Hefley are three individuals who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. Gene Barr is a professional who is ready to get started on projects as soon as they are approved. He is knowledgeable about flood proofing measures and the eligibility criteria for the program. He is also familiar with the process of signing up for the program and the responsibilities that come with it. Carl Miller, on the other hand, is an expert in emergency management.

Harold Trivett was born on May 13, 1924, in Dickenson County, Flatwood. He was raised on a large farm of 1,560 acres, where he learned farming from a young age. By the time he was five, he was already milking cows, and by six, he was milking two cows, walking two miles to school, and then returning to milk them again. Harold completed his education at Virginia Tech (VPI). After finishing school, he worked in a store in Haysi for three years before moving to Grundy, where he built a building and started a business named Arington Trivett, also known as the Family Shop, in 1950.

David Hafley is a long-time resident of Grundy, Virginia, who has experienced firsthand the devastating effects of flooding in the region. His experiences provide a vivid account of the destruction caused by floods in the years 1957 and 1977. Hafley's resilience and determination are evident in his recounting of the cleanup efforts following these disasters, where he and other community members worked tirelessly to restore their homes and businesses.

subject: Flood control--Virginia; Flood damage prevention—Virginia; Buchanan County (Va.)--History; Grundy (Va.)--Social life and customs; Levisa Fork Basin (Ky. and Va.); Big Sandy River Valley (Ky. and Va.); United States. Army. Corps of Engineers.

Chuck Crabtree was born in 1952, in Buchanan County, where he was also raised. His family, originally from West Virginia, moved to Grundy in the late 1920s, following the coal mining industry. His grandfather was one of the first contractors for Harman Mining Corporation in Harman, Virginia, where he mined coal using ponies to pull the coal out of the mountains. Crabtree's family lived in a small camp, in houses owned by the Harman Mining Corporation, known as company houses.

Interviews about fishing in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Dates: February 10, 2020 - April 27, 2017 and July 2000.

Locations: Port Allen, Kauai; Honolulu, O‘ahu; Waikulu, Maui; Kona, Hawai‘i Island, HI; Midway Island; Maalaea, Maui

Oral history interview with Kurt Kawamoto.

Oral history interview with Jonathan Hurd.

Oral history interview with Kenny Corder.

Oral history interview with Layne Nakagawa.

John Faulkingham, a 63 year old fisherman and entrepreneur, talks about offshore cod fishing, lobster fishing and clamming. He tells of close calls on the water and the hard life he had in his early years of fishing.

Oral history interview with Sueto Matsumura.

Group interview with the next generation of the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association.

Group interview with the next generation of the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association

Masako Sugawa, eldest of three children, was born in 1911, in Halehaka, Kaua'i. Her father, Yoichiro Hanzawa, immigrant from Miyagi-ken, Japan, was a rice farmer in Halehaka; her mother, Kesa, also from Miyagi-ken, died at age thirty-three in 1919. Masako helped her father care for her sister and brother.

Edene Vidinha was the youngest of three children and only girl born to Maurice Smith and Emma Wohlers Smith in 1905. After Maurice Smith died, Edene was raised by her mother and stepfather, John Naleimaile, Koloa Plantation policeman, who later became a Kaua'i county policeman in Koloa.  Edene and her family lived in a home adjoining the courthouse in Koloa, where her stepfather worked. She first attended Koloa School, then transferred to Kawaiahao Seminary in Honolulu.

David Kurohara has been fishing since he was twelve years old. He is an active mullet fisher in Wailoa State Park in Hilo, Hawaii. In 2017, he joined the Hawai‘i Island Leadership Council. He has worked for Hawaii Electric for twenty years and serves as the company’s Business and Community Consultant. David is a respected community leader and volunteer who donates his time to many services and non-profit boards.

The youngest of eight children who survived childbirth, Vivian Leilani Vidinha Souza was born January 14, 1918 in Koloa. Her father, Antone Vidinha, Sr., was Portuguese born in Mana, Kauai and eventually became the sheriff of Koloa. Her mother, Alohakeau Hale Vidinha, was Hawaiian born on Niihau. Vivian's brother, Antone Vidinha, was a former mayor of Kauai. Vivian, a lifelong resident of Koloa and Poipu, completed the eighth grade at Koloa School.

Interview with Jack Schultheis

Interview with Nick Tucker

An interview with the late Bernadette Redfox

Yen Cheung Au, Chinese, the sixth of sixteen children, was born in Waiahole, Oahu on March 7, 1894. His father was a rice farmer in Waiahole. Yen Cheung helped his father in the fields by scaring away the birds which threatened the rice crops. He also helped the family by catching fish and shrimp.

Sabas T. Jamito, Tagalog, was born in Camarines Norte, Philippines on January 12, 1912. At the age of five months, he and his family immigrated to the Big Island of Hawaii. Until 1922, when the family moved to Hilo, Sabas lived on various sugar plantations: Papaaloa, Paauilo, Ookala, and Olaa. While in Hilo, Sabas helped his father in the sugarcane fields and earned money as a shoe shine boy. He attended Kapiolani School, Hila Union School, Hilo Intermediate, and Hila High. In 1929, Sabas began his boxing career in Hilo, making five dollars a fight.

Peter Martin, Portuguese-Hawaiian, was born in Kalihi on June 29, 1905. His family owned a taro patch in the area behind the present Kalihi Union Church. As a youth, Peter was active in neighborhood sports and was a member of the Kalihi Thundering Herd barefoot football team in the 1920s. He attended K~lfhi-Waena School and completed the tenth grade at McKinley High School. Peter then began working as a sailor on an inter-island lighthouse boat, transporting gas tanks to different lighthouses. In 1932, Peter secured a job as a streetcar and trolley conductor for Honolulu Rapid Transit.

Agustina (Abaya) Villa, Ilocano, was born in Dingras, !locos Norte, Philippines on August 28, 1893 . The fifth of six children, Agustina helped support the family by taking in laundry from the people of her barrio. She also sewed clothing. Agustina married Antonio Villa in 1913 . In 1924, Antonio left for Hawaii to find work in the sugarcane fields. He was assigned to Lahaina, Maui. Agustina remained in the Philippines and continued sewing and laundering until 1931, when she and two of her children joined Antonio in Lahaina .

John Vegas, Puerto Rican, the sixth of fifteen children, was born on November 30, 1912, in North Kohala, Hawaii.  His parents immigrated to North Kohala from Puerto Rico in 1901.  Antone Vegas, John's father,worked as a laborer at Kohala's Union Mill Plantation.  In 1924, the family moved to Honolulu where Antone Vegas worked as a track layer for Honolulu Rapid Transit (HRT).

Joe A. Joseph, Portuguese-Hawaiian, was born in Kalihi on March 10, 1913.  His father, Antone Joseph ( 11Antone Joe 11 ) owned a dairy located near the present site of Kalihi Shopping Center. As a youth, Joe helped his father at the dairy. Joe attended Kalihi-Waena Elementary School and completed the ninth grade at Kalakaua Intermediate. In 1932, he began work as a surveyor at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Just prior to World War II, Joe moonlighted as a nightclub bouncer. Until 1945, Joe, along with his brothers, helped at the family-run dairy.

David Souza, Portuguese, was born February 7, 1906, in Honolulu. His father, a former storekeeper, died when David was three years old. The family then moved to Kalihi Valley, where David has lived ever since. He attended schools in Kalihi Valley and Kalihi Waena and graduated from St. Louis in 1926. During this time, David participated in community- and school-sponsored sports. After graduating from St. Louis, David worked as a wharf clerk for the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company. He remained there until 1952. He then became a wharf clerk for Thea H. Davies and Co., Ltd.

Tuddy Urquhart, a 77 year old fisherman talks about how the fishing industry has changed over his lifetime. He discusses the changes in traps, buoys, warps, and how technology has changed fishing. He also notes the character changes in fishermen over the years.

Louis Peterson is a seasoned oysterman with a rich history in the oyster industry. Born into a family with a long lineage of oystermen, Peterson represents at least the fourth generation of his family to work in the industry. He is a recognized figure in the National Register of folklore in Washington, DC, known for his extensive knowledge and history of the oyster industry. Peterson is also a skilled craftsman, having built machines for the oyster industry and having a deep understanding of the tools used in oyster harvesting, such as oyster tongs.

James Bradford was born on July 30, 1930, in Morristown, but was raised in Port Norris where he also attended school. After leaving Port Norris, he served in the Navy and was stationed in Norfolk for three years, with a one-year duty in Hawaii. Upon his return, he worked on an oyster boat for Norman Jefferies, Sr. in Greenwich. His parents were Janet Bradford and Earl Bradford, originally from Newport. He had two brothers, Robert and Earl.

Dr. William "Bill" Sunda, a native of Arlington, Virginia, has made significant contributions to environmental science and research throughout his career. He completed his undergraduate studies at Lehigh University, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science. Bill received a Fellowship for graduate studies at MIT and Woods Hole the same year. In 1975, Bill joined the Beaufort Lab as a Research Chemist, marking the beginning of a 40-year-long commitment to advancing scientific knowledge. Dr.

Harold Bickings Jr. is a descendant of a long line of oyster fishermen who have been in the business since the 1800s. His great-grandfather, a Danish immigrant, started the family's involvement in the oyster industry, which was carried on by subsequent generations. Bickings Jr. has a wealth of knowledge about the family's history in the oyster business, including the trials and hardships they faced, the locations of their businesses, and the names and locations of other companies in the Port Norris and Maurice River area.

What stimulated me and pleased me very much with my position as a research biologist was that I felt that the government, under this program, was really trying to benefit the industry, and the industry recognized that they would benefit.  As you said, it was best to have good data about the fishery and the fish.  So, we developed a very, very close relationship.

Jon Semlear, born in 1960, is a traditional fisherman and bayman based in Sag Harbor, Long Island. Despite being a first-generation waterman, his family has been part of the Sag Harbor community for approximately seventy years, with his father serving as a local physician. Jon developed an interest in marine activities during his youth, engaging in recreational clamming and scalloping. He pursued formal education in marine affairs at the University of Rhode Island and later transferred to Southampton College, where he studied environmental studies and marine science.

Dr. John V. Merriner, originally from Winchester, Virginia, has dedicated his career to the field of fisheries. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Rutgers University in 1964. John pursued higher education at North Carolina State University, where he earned both his Master's degree in 1967 and his Ph.D. in Fisheries in 1973. From 1970 to 1982, John was employed at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. In 1982, he joined the staff at the NMFS Beaufort Laboratory, taking on the role of Fisheries Division Chief.

Dr. Don Hoss, hailing from Mexico, Missouri, has devoted a significant portion of his life to the field of fisheries. His educational journey began at the University of Missouri, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Fisheries. Don joined the Beaufort Laboratory in 1958 as a Fishery Biologist, embarking on a long and fruitful career that would span over four decades. He obtained a Master's degree from North Carolina State University in 1966, followed by a Ph.D. in 1971.

Dr. Doug Wolfe, a highly accomplished scientist, dedicated several years of his career to the Beaufort Laboratory, making significant contributions as a Chemist/Fishery Biologist. Born and raised in Ohio, he nurtured a deep fascination for the natural world from a young age. Doug pursued his academic aspirations at Ohio State University, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Zoology and later a Graduate degree in Biochemistry. In 1964, Doug joined the Beaufort Lab.

• Born in Beaufort, NC; raised on Pivers Island (site of the Beaufort Laboratory)
• Herb’s father, Dr. Herbert Prythrech, was Director of the Beaufort Laboratory, 1933-1949
• Graduated from East Carolina University and also served in the US Army
• Worked for the NMFS, formerly the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, as a port agent and fishery reporting specialist in TX, SC, GA, and Miami; retired from NMFS in 1994