Grady Leavins is a self-made man. Growing up in rural Bagdad, Florida, he sought out opportunity at every turn. He spent a couple of years at a community college but was anxious to work. He worked part time at the Arizona Chemical Research and Development Laboratory in Panama City and commuted to Apalachicola to work extra hours harvesting oysters. In 1976 Grady moved to Apalachicola. Living there, he immediately recognized opportunity in the oyster industry. He started small, but he was soon selling the oysters that he caught all over the state of Florida.

Melanie Cooper Covell is the seventh generation to call Apalachicola home. Born in 1968, she and her four siblings grew up working at their parents' business, Cooper's Seafood. Melanie has been shucking oysters since she was fifteen years old. The family business closed in 1994, when Melanie's father, Fred Cooper, passed away. Still, Melanie continued to shuck. And she painted houses too. In 2004 Melanie married Larry Covell. Together, they opened the Wheelhouse Raw Bar in downtown Apalachicola, where Melanie's brother, Joey, is the cook. His mullet dip is unrivaled.

Monica Lemieux comes from a family of fishermen. Her grandfather, her father, and her brothers all earned their living on the bay. Her father, Bill Martina, is believed to have commissioned one of the first shrimp boats in the area. He named it the Irish Town after a neighborhood in Apalachicola, and the boat still hauls shrimp today. Monica's brother, Kevin, is its captain. Monica did not work in the seafood industry until she was an adult. She went to college and got a job outside of the industry. But when the company she worked for closed, she, too, looked to the bay for work.

Janice Richards was born in Eastpoint in 1945 and has been shucking oysters since 1960. Her mother taught her the trade when she was a girl. Early on she learned to take her time to shuck a clean oyster. Janice married her husband, Johnny Richards, an oysterman, at the age of fourteen. They've worked at a handful of seafood houses over the years, and today they work together at Tommy Ward's oyster house, 13 Mile. Johnny gets the oysters, and Janice shucks his catch. But these years of shucking have taken their toll.

A. L. "Unk" Quick has been an oysterman all of his life. Originally from Wewahitchka, Florida, his family moved to Eastpoint in 1949, when Unk was just nine years old. He quit school at the age of sixteen and started oystering the very next day. In 1964 he proposed to his wife, Gloria, and she started shucking oysters right away. They have worked together ever since. He catches, she shucks. Some days, they'll go out on the bay together. He catches, she culls. In the off-season they pick up odd jobs and do yard work. Whatever they're doing, they make a good team.

Originally from Tennessee, Charles Pennycuff's parents moved their family to Eastpoint in 1971. Since Charles first saw the bay at the age of seventeen, he has made his living from it. Over the years, Charles has done it all. He has shrimped, oystered, crabbed, and even grunted for worms. His son, Rex, worked the bay, too. Like a lot of folks, though, they wanted something more reliable. In 1993 Charles opened Fisherman's Choice Bait & Tackle in Eastpoint. He has no employees, only his family.

Fred Millender has been working on the bay since he was a boy. Born in Carrabelle, Florida, in 1929, Fred's family saw opportunity in Eastpoint and moved there in 1942. At one time, the Millender family had three seafood houses along the bay. When Fred managed his own place, he had twenty-nine boats harvesting oysters. The seafood industry was booming in Eastpoint. Recently, though, among other problems, hurricanes have taken their toll on the area. But Fred is a survivor. He has found a way to keep Fred's Best Seafood afloat. Today, his daughter Susan operates the seafood house.

Terry Dean's grandmother, Monette Hicks, came to Eastpoint with her parents in 1916. Terry grew up listening to her grandmother's stories of what Eastpoint was like in the early days, when oysters were shucked in lean-tos on the shore, and there wasn't a thing on St. George Island, not even a bridge to get there. Electricity didn't arrive in Eastpoint until the 1950s. Still, dozens of seafood houses dotted the waterfront. In every family there was an oysterman, a shucker, or a crab picker, probably all three. Today, only a handful of seafood houses line the water's edge through Eastpoint.

Bobby Shiver was born at 13 Mile in 1939. His father oystered and his mother shucked for Miller's Fish & Oyster Company. As a child, Bobby remembers building toy boats out of scrap metal and wood. In the 1960s he began to build boats as a hobby. For years, creating boats was an avocation. Working the bay and building houses was Bobby's vocation. But when he got older, he began learning more about the trade from local boat builders. With a seventh-grade education, Bobby mastered the craft and made hundreds of boats. He never worked from a design.

Henry Tindell is a native of Alabama. As a teenager, he went to Eastpoint to visit an aunt and, inspired by his time there, he devised a plan for what to do when he finished high school. But Henry was too eager to get on the water, so in 1963 he moved to Eastpoint and finished his senior year up the road in Carrabelle. Soon after, he began harvesting oysters and crabs and has been working on the bay ever since. In the 1980s, as imports began replacing the local hard crab business, soft-shell crabs became popular, so Henry began cultivating them.

Born in 1916, Monette Hicks grew up in Eastpoint. In those days, boats didn't have motors, there weren't any bridges over the bay, and there were no houses on St. George Island. Seafood was all anyone knew. Monette's family worked the bay harvesting oysters. She quit school at the age of twelve, when she was big enough to shuck. Oystermen harvested their catch nearby on Cat Point and Porters Bar. Shuckers would work daylight to dark, without electricity. In 1933, at the age of sixteen, Monette married a shrimper, Louis Hullman Hicks.

Born and raised in Eastpoint, Lynn Martina grew up in the seafood industry. Her parents, John and Sherrill Carroll, were in the business for almost thirty years. Lynn started shucking at her parents' oyster house at the age of nine. She would get out of school and head straight to the shucking stall. But after Lynn finished school, she got a job in banking. In 1997, though, Lynn's parents were ready to retire. They sold Braxton and Carroll Seafood to their daughter. Lynn changed the name to Lynn's Quality Oysters.

James McNeill Jr. was born at Indian Pass, just west of Apalachicola, in 1924. His father, James McNeill Sr., was originally from North Carolina. Working the rivers rafting timber downstream, James Sr. eventually made his way to Florida. Soon after, he got into the turpentine business and eventually acquired some 13,000 acres of Florida wilderness. James Sr. passed away in 1941. In 1947 James Jr. married Betty Lane. Together, they established the Indian Pass Seafood Company.

The son of farmers, Donald Smiley was not born with the bay in his blood. He spent his childhood in the inland town of Wewahitchka, and, as a young man, Donald worked as an air conditioning technician in Panama City. But in 1980 he moved to Franklin County and began oystering. Donald says he made more money in one day of oystering than he could make in a week at doing A/C repair. He harvested oysters for the next thirteen years, until in 1993 the industry was changing so much that Donald wanted out. As a hobby, he started tinkering with bees.

Mrs. Cornelia Walker Bailey, a prominent historian on Sapelo Island—Georgia’s fourth largest barrier island only accessible by ferry, boat, or plane—was born on June 12, 1945. Mrs. Bailey’s family tree and presence on the island is well documented and can be traced back to her ancestors who purchased the island after the end of slavery. Mrs.

Charles Hall was born in 1934 on Sapelo Island, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded on the fourth largest barrier island in the 1700s, 60 miles south of Savannah, in McIntosh County. Mr. Hall earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Morehouse College in Georgia and Physical Therapy certification from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. He worked as a physical therapist in Ohio until his retirement. Along with service in the United States Air Force, Mr. Hall served in prominent positions within community organizations in Ohio before moving back to Georgia.

Mr. Leroy Beavers grew up in a fishing family in McIntosh County in Sherman Bluff, Georgia—30 miles south of Savannah. His love for fishing, imparted by his grandfather, deepened as he grew older. He fished often while stationed in various locations during his 20 years of military service.

Mrs. Annie Lee Thorpe was the seventh of eight children, born in 1923 in Mayport, Florida. Mrs. Thorpe recalls that her family structure changed when she was 12, after the death of her mother. She then moved to Savannah to live with her older sister; however, she was unable to complete her primary education due to her sister’s illness. Soon after, Mrs. Thorpe married James Joseph “Joe” Thorpe, one of the few African American shrimp boat captains in Savannah. They began their family in 1953 and had four children.

Mr. Charles Murray grew up in Savannah, Georgia surrounded by a fishing community his entire life. He learned the trade, which he found easy, from his father who was a commercial shrimper and was the first African American in Thunderbolt to own his own boat. Coastal Georgia was the epicenter for shrimping and was where he, his father, and two brothers made their living. Mr. Murray was one of 10 children and joined his father’s business at the age of 16; he married twice and had children and lived his entire life in Savannah.

Mrs. Cassie Williams, a native of Thunderbolt, Georgia—a small community five miles southeast of Savannah in Chatham County, was born in 1934 and was the youngest of eight children. After completing six years of school in Savannah, she traveled to New York to finish her education, but had to return before graduation to take care of her father. Mrs. Williams grew up surrounded by a fishing community, where she and her husband of 53 years raised their children and grandchildren in the house he built.  Throughout her life, Mrs.

Primus Butler was born on January 31, 1932 in Thunderbolt, Georgia—five miles southeast of Savannah in Chatham County. In his youth, he fished and learned how to swim in the river behind Savannah State University. Before he completed high school he was drafted for the Korean War and served one year. He returned and graduated from Beach High School and briefly attended Savannah State College until his GI Bill expired. Mr.

This interview with Charlie Phillips, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council member, was conducted as part of the SERO Fishery Managers Oral History project. This project is a collection of oral histories by individuals who participate in fishery management within the Southeast Region of the U.S. and consists of individuals who serve on the regional councils and their scientific and advisory panels or staff. This interview with Mr.

Jimmy Moore is a retired local fisherman from McIntosh County, Georgia. He has a rich history of working on fishing vessels and has been a part of the commercial fishing industry for many years. Moore owned a fishing vessel for twenty years before selling it to a man named Bill. He currently co-owns a boat named Brenda K with Bill. Despite being retired for twenty years, Moore's experiences and stories from his time in the industry provide valuable insights into the changes and advancements that have occurred over the years.

Charlie Phillips is a seasoned fisherman and business owner based in McIntosh County, Georgia. He has been involved in the fishing industry since his high school years, when he began working on shrimp boats during the summer. By the time he was a senior in high school, he was running shrimp boats on the weekends for his father. His commitment to the fishing industry led him to leave college when a professor insisted he attend a final exam on June 1, a crucial day for shrimp fishing. From that point on, Phillips became a full-time shrimp boat captain.

Robert Everson is a seasoned fisherman from McIntosh County, Georgia, with a rich history in the fishing industry. His journey in the industry began with the help of his father, who also worked in the industry. Everson's early years were spent working on several boats in the Gulf of Mexico, starting as a striker and gradually gaining experience and skills. He also worked with his father out of Fort Myers, Florida, where they would embark on three-day trips to the Gulf of Mexico for shrimping.

Charles Phillips, a native of Jesup, Georgia, spent his early years engaged in farming activities such as baling hay and picking tobacco. However, his life took a significant turn when his family moved to the coast around his seventh grade. Here, he developed a deep connection with the water, spending most of his time exploring the marshes and rivers, and visiting friends via his 14-foot aluminum skiff. His father, after a brief stint in shrimping, decided to invest in a shrimp boat, marking the beginning of the family's foray into the seafood industry.

Ernest McIntosh Sr. and his four brothers were born into a crabbing family, surrounded by 2,700 acres of coastal saltwater wildlife refuge in Harris Neck, Georgia—30 miles south of Savannah, in McIntosh County. Although his brothers immediately pursued crabbing with their father, Ernest worked as a construction laborer until he was laid off in 1978. He returned to the waters of his childhood and began commercially harvesting blue crab on the five boats owned by his family. After seeing no long-term future in the crabbing industry from environmental and environmental changes, Mr.

Mr. Wilson Moran, historian and Harris Neck decedent describes environmental stewardship in the local oyster and crab fishery. He gives an account of changes in the fishery due to anthropogenic impacts including pollution and over harvesting. Mr. Moran concludes his oral history explaining his father's work as a commercial crab fisherman and how a working knowledge of the estuary contributed to success in the fishery.

Mr. Kenneth Dunham describes his early life in the rural coastal Georgia community of Harris Neck. Kenneth describes his father's role in the community as a boat builder, and how lessons in woodwork, carpentry, and boat building have been passed for generations. Kenneth talks about (and demonstrates) how nets and "trap lines" are made, as well as recounts how the different fishes, crabs, and terrapins were caught in this homemade gear.

Reverend Robert Thorpe, one of the original members of the Harris Neck community explains fishing, crabbing, and oyster picking in McIntosh County, Georgia. He recounts the locations and ownership succession of oyster factories in the area. Thorpe's oral history describes how catch was sold in Harris Neck and surrounding communities to support his family; the roles of men and women working in oyster plants; and wintertime trapping as a way to supplement fishing income.

Olive Smith is one of the original members of the Harris Neck community in McIntosh County Georgia. In her oral history, she explains how her mother provided food for the family by picking oysters at low tide during the winters and catching crabs. Olive's account is a brief glimpse of what life was like for the women of this fishing community.

Mrs. Lucy Mae Grant was born in 1930 in the small coastal community of Sherman Bluff, Georgia in McIntosh County—30 miles south of Savannah. Growing up, fishing was essential within her family and community and throughout her married life. Her husband was a shrimp boat captain and they had three children. However, the family connection to fishing did not extend to her two sons, who hated fishing and chose to enter the military instead. Mrs.

Herman Haynes, better known as “Hanif,” grew up watching the daily ebb and flood of the Moon River behind his family’s property in Pin Point, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded in 1896 eleven miles southeast of Savannah, in Chatham County. The river played a pivotal role in Hanif’s life, as it was where he was baptized as a member of the Sweetfield of Eden Baptist Church and where he swam each summer with his friends. At the insistence of his family, Hanif pursued his education and employment outside of the crab industry.

As an only child, Stephanie Anderson grew up with a large, close-knit, extended family in Pin Point, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded in 1896, eleven miles southeast of Savannah, in Chatham County. Ms. Anderson was raised and influenced by several strong, independent women.

Otis Hayward comes from a long line of independent, nomadic commercial fishermen on both sides of his family. In his teenage years, he worked as a striker on his father’s boat and traveled far from his small hometown of Thunderbolt, Georgia—five miles southeast of Savannah, in Chatham County—to follow seasonally migrating shrimp along Florida’s Atlantic coastline. Mr.

Rebecca Bonds Bowen, better known as “Miss Sula,” was born in 1946 in Pin Point, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded in 1896, eleven miles southeast of Savannah, in Chatham County. Growing up, Miss Sula was often the primary caregiver for her younger siblings because her parents would leave early in the morning to either catch or pick crabs. In her early 20s, Miss Sula was employed as a crab picker but was persuaded by her mother to pursue her education for a better life. Miss Sula entered the nursing field and worked in various care facilities throughout Georgia.

Herbert McIver, also known as "Captain Truck," is a seasoned commercial fisherman from McIntosh County, Georgia. His fishing career began at a young age, around eight or nine years old, when he started accompanying his father on fishing trips. Despite initial bouts of seasickness, McIver continued to work with his father every summer, eventually taking on more responsibilities as he grew older. His early fishing experiences were diverse, catching a variety of species including crabs, shrimp, whiting, flounder, and other smaller fish.

Darrell Gale is a seasoned commercial fisherman from Darien, Georgia. He comes from a long lineage of watermen, tracing back to Sir William Gale who served for King Arthur. His family migrated from the Isle of Man to the United States, where they settled in Darien, Georgia. Gale's grandfather worked for King George, rafting logs and fishing during off times. His father also followed the same path, serving in the Navy under Halsey before returning to shrimping. Gale himself has been on the waters since he was small, becoming a shrimp boat captain at the age of fourteen.

Bill Harris is a seasoned fisherman and co-owner of Sapelo Shrimp Company based in Darien, Georgia. He has been involved in the fishing industry for several decades, having bought his first boat in 1989. Over the years, Harris has owned and operated several fishing vessels, with his most recent being the Brenda K, formerly known as the Lang's Pride. Harris serves as the captain of his boats, but he also manages operations on the dock, including unloading shrimp from other fishermen, selling shrimp, ice, and fuel.

Curtis Carter is a seasoned shrimper from Darien, Georgia, who has been in the shrimping industry since the age of sixteen. Despite not having completed his education, Carter was able to support his family through his work in shrimping. His first boat was the "Night Train," which he owned and operated for about four years. He later worked on several other boats, including the Pay Tot and the El Mar in Key West, Florida, and the Shrimp Chaser, a giant herring boat.

Mr. Robert Todd focuses on the history of his family’s commercial fishermen legacy. He discusses the boats run and operated by members of the Todd/Sawyer family. He discusses his short film, Trawling Traditions, which covers some histories of commercial fishermen on the Georgia Coast.  He also gives recommendations for the future of shrimping in Georgia. 

Wynn Gale is a lifelong resident of Darien, Georgia, and a fourth-generation fisherman. He began his career in commercial fishing at the age of twelve. Despite a brief attempt at a career in law enforcement, Gale returned to the fishing industry, following in the footsteps of his family who have only ever worked in fishing. Over the years, Gale has observed a significant decrease in the number of boats fishing in the area. He has also experienced the financial challenges of the industry, having had to sell his shrimp boat due to high dock rent and the lack of a crew.

Wynn Gale is a lifelong resident of Darien, Georgia, and a fourth-generation fisherman. He began his career in commercial fishing at the age of twelve. Despite a brief attempt at a career in law enforcement, Gale returned to the fishing industry, following in the footsteps of his family who have only ever worked in fishing. Over the years, Gale has observed a significant decrease in the number of boats fishing in the area. He has also experienced the financial challenges of the industry, having had to sell his shrimp boat due to high dock rent and the lack of a crew.

Charles Jones is a seasoned fisherman from Darien, Georgia, who has spent a significant part of his life in the commercial fishing industry. Born and raised in Darien, Jones began his fishing career at a young age, heading shrimp at the docks after school to earn money for his family's needs. Jones briefly left the fishing industry to serve in the Vietnam War, after which he returned to fishing with his father. He later bought his own boat and began running his own fishing operations. Jones also worked for the Georgia State Patrol for a period of time before buying his second boat.

David "Tony" Karwacki is a seasoned commercial fisherman from Darien, Georgia. Born into a family of fishermen, Tony has been involved in the fishing industry since he was a child. His father, a first-generation fisherman, introduced him to the trade at a young age. Tony recalls standing on a five-gallon bucket to look over the console and drive the boat when he was just five years old. By the age of fourteen, he was already captaining his own boat and pulling his own set of crab traps.

LC Scott is a seasoned fisherman from Georgia, with a wealth of experience and stories to share about his life and career in the fishing industry. He grew up in a community known as Briar Patches, located about 10 miles from Darien, Georgia. Scott's experience in the fishing industry is extensive, having worked in various roles on fishing boats. He learned the ropes from the ground up, starting with tasks such as checking the oil and clutch, filling the radiator with water, and removing the lines before the boat could set off.

Leon Skipper is a seasoned commercial fisherman from McIntosh County, Georgia, with over fifty years of experience in the shrimping industry. Born and raised in Bolin, Georgia, Skipper moved to Meridian later in life. His passion for shrimping was ignited during his childhood when he would accompany his father on fishing trips during weekends and school holidays. Skipper's career in shrimping has taken him from North Carolina to the Gulf Coast, Texas, Campeche Mexico, and back up to Tampa, Florida.

Interview with Morris Butler.

The interview begins with a brief history of Thornell King's childhood and his father’s involvement in selling fish back in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He then goes on to talk about his brief interest in shrimping and how that eventually led him into the world of jellyballing. He describes his time under his mentor, George Tye, and how Tye eventually gifted him his three boats and his jellyballing company.

Interview with Robert Lee Everson, Sr.

Commissioner Griffin Lotson reflects on his experience with the shrimp industry in Darien, Georgia. He discusses the role of fishing in the Gullah Geechee community in terms of making a living, ethnic identity, and culture.

Hughey Dean Bryant is a seasoned commercial fisherman who hails from the coast of North Carolina. His journey in the fishing industry began under the tutelage of his father, from whom he learned the intricacies of the trade. His expertise spans across various aspects of the industry, including shrimping, crabbing, scalloping, and flounder fishing. Over the years, Bryant has expanded his fishing operations to Florida and Georgia, where he continues to contribute significantly to the industry.

Joseph Michael Rauls is a seasoned veteran of the shrimping industry hailing from the coastal state of Georgia. Born into a family with deep ties to the sea, Rauls' upbringing was steeped in the traditions and hard work associated with shrimping. His life story is a rich tapestry that weaves together the threads of familial legacy, personal passion, and the relentless pursuit of a livelihood amidst the waves. Rauls' narrative is not just a personal chronicle but also a reflection of the broader cultural and economic fabric of the Georgian shrimping community.

Lester Perry is a seasoned commercial fisherman with deep roots in North Carolina's fishing community. Raised in a family with a long-standing tradition of fishing, Perry was introduced to the trade at a tender age, specifically to the practice of shrimping. His early exposure to the sea and its bounties shaped his career path, leading him to ascend the ranks within the industry. Perry's dedication and skill eventually earned him the position of a boat captain, a role he currently fulfills aboard the Blessed Assurance.

Darwin Gale, Jr. is a commercial fishermen based in Darien, Georgia. 

Linda Stehlik graduated in 1972 from Douglas College, a part of Rutgers University, with her bachelor's. She initially focused on terrestrial ecology but decided to pursue marine studies in lieu of studying birds due to the more promising job market in the marine biology field and her interest in tropical ecology. She began her graduate work at the University of Florida before attending Virginia Institute of Marine Science where she earned her Master's in 1980. She worked at Cook College between schools and spent time researching salt marshes in New Jersey.

Dr. Nancy Thompson was born in September 1949 in Newark, New Jersey. She earned her PhD from the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Thompson worked for NOAA from 1980-2011, serving as the Director at both the Southeast and Northeast Fisheries Science Centers during her career. At the time of this interview in 2016, she was working at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science.

William Overholtz was born and raised in Lima, Ohio. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in fresh waters fisheries and limnology from Ohio State and his Ph.D. from Oregon State. He began his career with the Fish and Wildlife Service at Rock Island, Illinois. In 1976, Overholtz began working at Woods Hole and completed many survey cruises on various foreign vessels His work focused on groundfish and herring. He spent time in the population dynamics group as well as working on acoustic surveys and assessment modeling. He retired from NMFS after 34 years of service.

Interview with biologist Deborah Crouse of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Crouse was born in 1950 and has worked as a scientist on turtle issues since 1982. Interview contains information on coastal habitat, introduction of TEDs, development of gear technology, turtle reproduction and survival, ecology.

Interview with Gary Graham (born in 1946), a retired professor at Texas A & M and marine fisheries specialist with Texas Sea Grant. Graham also served as Gulf Regional Coordinator for the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation and worked as a shrimper. Graham discusses his involvement in the industry from the early 1980's onward doing educational outreach to industry professionals. Collected data on how TEDs perform while on offshore test voyages using early NMFS TEDs. Other Topics: industry perception of TEDs, cannonball, jellyfish shooters, Georgia Jumper Morrison, TED

Interview with Sally Murphy born October 16, 1943 in Savannah, GA. Murphy is the retired Sea Turtle Coordinator of the SC Dept. of Natural Resources. She established their turtle conservation program and conducted research to determine impacts on sea turtles and management of recovery efforts. Her work also included monitoring declines in the species as well as education and outreach to the public. Interview Topics: Sinkey Boone, Georgia Jumper, Super Shooter, Bycatch reduction devices, Started as Co-Leader of Turtle Recovery Team in 1979

Interview with Charles "Chuck" Oravetz born December 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He retired from National Marine Fisheries Service in 2001 as Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources.  His work involved developing and implementing TEDs with the Pascagoula, Mississippi lab.

Interview with Frank Parker born July 4, 1973 in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Parker is a lifelong shrimp fisherman.  Interview contains information on fishing practices, perceptions of TEDs during their early years of implementation and technical details regarding the shrimping industry.

Interview with Mike Harris, Chief of Nongame Conservation Section, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia DNR. Harris began work for Georgia DNR's Coastal Resources Division in 1986 and worked on introducing TEDs in the Georgia shrimping industry. In this interview, Harris speaks about the development of TEDs from Sinkey Boone's original Jellyball Shooter, federal regulations and attitudes in the fishing industry toward conservation measures.

Interview with Bob Jones, born in 1933, who at the time of the interview was the Executive Director of the Southeast Fisheries Association. Interview contains his recollections of the implementation of TEDs within the fishery, opinions on federal management, thoughts on the decline of the shrimp fishery, industry challenges and relations with environmental organizations.

Interview with Sinkey Boone of Darien, Georgia, born in 1937.  Interview consists of Boone's recollections of building early TEDs, bycatch, and the design of TEDs from the late-1960s onwards. Other Topics: equipment, bycatch, fish species

Darlene Czeskleba talks about her and her husband, Don Czeskleba, in an interview with Kathleen Schmitt Kline. Her husband was a state fish hatchery manager, and she discusses his job responsibilities, awards, achievements, and involvement in sturgeon management.

Serge Doroshov is interviewed by Kathleen Schmitt Kline about the founding of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society. Serge discusses sturgeon population and spawning and his work in the United States at UC-Davis.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline interviews Dan Folz about his involvement with sturgeon through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He discusses studying and managing sturgeon and spawning site monitoring programs.

Bill Goeser is interviewed about his experiences sturgeon spearing over the years. He tells of his family learning to spear, early decoys and coaxer styles, and cooking sturgeon. Interviewer identity unknown.

Dave Grignon, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Menominee Tribe, is interviewed by Kathleen Kline Schmitt about tribal history with sturgeon. From creation stories to modern day, Dave explains the cultural significance of sturgeon to the Menominee people through time, as well as the care given to cooking sturgeon in ritually appropriate ways.

David Kuhn is interviewed about sturgeon spearing, decoy making, and spear construction. Interviewer identity unknown.

Bill McAloon discusses his experiences as a leading member of Sturgeon for Tomorrow and as a sturgeon spearer in an interview conducted by Dick Ristow. He talks about the early days on the Wolf River, helping to train wardens for DNR, illegal fishing practices and negative impact on the lakes, successful decoys, and sharing of fishing tradition with son and grandson.

Bill McAloon is interviewed on January 30, 2007 by Eugene Herubin about his experiences sturgeon fishing. McAloon primarily fishes on Wolf River, but also on Lake Winnebago. McAloon discussed his experiences as a youth when it was common for people to fish sturgeon out of the river, as well as the shift in legality of these methods as well as local mindset regarding such practices. Tape recording ends abruptly and early in interview.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline interviews Don Reiter, the Tribal Fish and Wildlife Manager for the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin. Don discusses his history with sturgeon and the Menominee Tribe, particularly in relation to restricted Menominee access to sturgeon spearing in the past. 

Mary Lou Schneider is interviewed by Pat Braasch about how sturgeon spearing has impacted her life. Mary Lou discusses the process for creating decoys, from acquisition of materials to finishing touches. She also discusses large fish she has seen over the years, her own spearing track record, and the people she spends the most time with during spearing season.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline and Ronald M. Bruch interview Gerald Van Straten about cooking sturgeon, spear fishing, and poachers using snag lines. Gerald also discusses family stories of fishing, particularly from his grandfather.

Estelle Wagner is interviewed by Kathleen Schmitt Kline about her history in the Lake Winnebago area of Wisconsin, including sturgeon spearing and its connection with her immigrant family. They listen to and discuss historical recordings she has about sturgeon culture from her father. Identities of other speakers on recording are unknown.

Ronald M. Bruch interviews Tom Wirth about sturgeon population management, spawning, and other research and management projects. Recording ends abruptly right after 27 minutes.

Daniel Wollersheim is interviewed about building ice saws and spears. Daniel tells stories about his days sturgeon spearing and explains the cleaning and cooking process for sturgeon. Interviewer identity unknown.

Interview with Walter Eley Ross, Sr., born March 16, 1924 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Ross was a fisherman and gear manufacturer.

Interview with Linda, Charles & Savannah Rhodes

Myron Hess is a native Texan, born in 1955, who grew up in the small town of Muenster, North Texas, near the Red River. His early life was spent on a farm, where he developed a deep appreciation for the natural world and the importance of water for both agriculture and the environment. This early interest in water and ecology influenced his later career in environmental law, with a particular focus on water and freshwater inflow issues in Texas.

Dr. Donna Shaver is a renowned wildlife biologist who has dedicated her career to the preservation of endangered species, with a particular focus on Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. She grew up in upstate New York, where her early interest in wildlife biology was influenced by her grandfather's love for nature and his saltwater aquariums. Dr. Shaver attended Corcoran High School and later pursued her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, where she majored in traditional wildlife biology. However, her passion always lay in the recovery efforts of threatened and endangered species.

George Walker was born in 1946 on Sapelo Island, Georgia—a small Gullah Geechee community founded on the fourth largest barrier island in the 1700s, 60 miles south of Savannah, in McIntosh County. That was a popular year for births on the island, following World War II and a busy year for the only midwife on the island. Mr. Walker was unable to complete high school, which would have been helpful during his pursuit of his captain’s license. Mr.

Lakemariam Worku is a 33-year-old atmospheric science PhD student from Ethiopia. He attended A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, and is currently working on his research. His interest in meteorology began in his childhood when he would visit a meteorology station with his friend whose father was a meteorology observer. This fascination led him to join the meteorology department at Arba Minch University in Ethiopia. After graduation, he worked for the national meteorology agency of Ethiopia for seven years before moving to the United States.

Mr. Crosby was an African-American raconteur, a Lancaster County legend, who founded a snack shop just north of White Stone on Rt. 3. A veteran of the fishing industry, he knew every aspect of boating and sold seafood in Richmond over a forty-five year period.

With a father and grandfather who ran a cannery at the steamboat wharf, John Cowart's telling brought to life the Adams Floating Theatre, the rich singing of the Black men in his family’s oyster house, and the dynamic interaction at the country store.

Interview with John Lee Callis 

John Norwood McCarty (1916-2012) was born to a farming family outside of Lively in Lancaster County, Virginia. His boyhood interplay with steamboats involved raising produce that he and his family then delivered to the bustling steamboat wharf to board the vessels for sale. McCarty provided vivid accounts of a rural steamboat wharf community, from a cooperative grower’s packinghouse to the local Speakeasy.

The first part of Mrs. Olivia Mariam Williams Haynie's (1917-2006) interview is spent in bitter recollection of the atrocities committed by the Yankees during the Civil War, tales of great incivility passed down from her grandparents who witnessed affairs firsthand. From here Miriam Haynie takes listeners from her Reedville home to and through the Baltimore. Steamboats occasioned close relations between the Northern Neck and this cosmopolitan city.

Rubie Lee Norris (1916-2012). Then still living in a pre-Civil War house built by her great uncle near Topping on the Rappahannock River, Norris remembered riding the steamers to college in Fredericksburg and told vivid stories of clerking in her father’s store, which was supplied by steamers. 

Thomas A. Williams (1925-2006). Son of an innovative Menhaden fishing boat captain, Williams provided an inventory of steamboat landings and lighthouses. He described the wide range of goods delivered to and from Northumberland County by steamers. 

Charles J. "Chuck" Harney (1922-2004). At the time of the interview he had been retired to Lancaster County fifteen years. He said he had videotaped over 150 interviews with local people on boats, in homes and shops, in fields and marshes throughout the region.

Charles R. Winstead, Age 88 (1915-2008). Captain Winstead spent most of his working life aboard a menhaden (type of fish) fishing boat. A powerful and articulate seaman, Winstead elucidates the inner workings of a steam-powered fishing vessel, including singing an example of the chanteys he led as a crew member to draw in the nets. Winstead, the first African-American in the region to acquire a pilot and captain’s license, rode passenger steamboats on several occasions during his younger days.