Stephen Cook
The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Hudson River Commercial Fishermen’s Oral History Collection
The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Hudson River Commercial Fishermen’s Oral History Collection consists of interviews with commercial fishermen conducted in the early 1980s and early 1990s. Locations discussed range from New York City to Albany and time periods from the 1920s to the 1990s. The focus of these interviews is primarily on the decline of the commercial fishing industry, including changes in fishing techniques and gear, changes in water quality and pollution, economic and market changes, and changes in fishing populations, including government regulation.
Content note: Some of the terminology used in these interviews reflects the time period and personalities of the people being interviewed and not that of the Hudson River Maritime Museum or New York Heritage.
You can explore this collection and others at: https://nyheritage.org/collections/oral-histories-hudson-river-commercial-fishermen
On December 6, 1998, Marguerite Holloway interviewed Officer Stephen Cook at the Teatown Reservation for an oral history project. Cook, a New York State Environmental Conservation Police Officer since 1977, discusses his career enforcing environmental and fishery regulations in the Hudson River area. He recounts challenges with illegal striped bass fishing, including enforcement of a 1976 ban on commercial sales due to health concerns from PCB contamination. Cook highlights his interactions with fishermen like Henry Gourdine, Tucker Crawford, and others, revealing tensions between law enforcement and local fishing communities over-regulation and economic impacts. The interview details Cook's undercover operations to intercept illegal shipments of fish to the Fulton Fish Market, the evolution of enforcement tactics, and the eventual adoption of stricter regulations to protect fish populations. He reflects on the cultural and economic shifts within the fishing industry, the decline of traditional practices, and the ongoing role of enforcement in addressing environmental challenges. Through anecdotes, Cook illustrates the complexities of balancing environmental stewardship with community relationships.
Please Note: The oral histories in this collection are protected by copyright and have been created for educational, research and personal use as described by the Fair Use Doctrine in the U.S. Copyright law. Please reach out Voices@noaa.gov to let us know how these interviews are being used in your research, project, exhibit, etc. The Voices staff can help provide other useful resources related to your inquiry.
The NOAA mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The Voices Oral History Archives offers public access to a wide range of accounts, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes.
Voices Oral History Archives does not verify the accuracy of materials submitted to us. The opinions expressed in the interviews are those of the interviewee only. The interviews here have been made available to the public only after the interviewer has confirmed that they have obtained consent.