It is told that North Carolina fishermen now have an opportunity share the stories of their fishing experiences thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) website “The Voices from the Fisheries.” This website is said to contain all the fish tales from fishermen across the country. The website is an online database to archive oral history interviews about commercial, recreational and subsistence fishing.
The website is said to have collected from commercial fisherman, recreational fishermen, subsistence fishermen or those in businesses that support these activities. NOAA says on the site that separately, each history provides an in-depth view into the professional and personal lives of individual participants in the fishing industry.
NOAA said that together they have the power to illuminate common themes, issues and concerns across diverse fishing communities over time. It is also said the website is a powerful resource available to the public to inform, educate and provide primary information for researchers interested in our local, human experience with the surrounding marine environment. Dr. Susan Abbott-Jamieson, anthropologist and senior social scientist in NOAA’s Office of Science and Technology, informed that there will be a wide variety of people using the database, from those with a personal interest in fisheries history to other social scientists.
Dr Susan told that they want every region represented. She told that the database holds 97 approved interviews and has more awaiting confirmation that they have permission to be released on the site. Dr. Abbott-Jamieson informed that they believe there are hundreds of oral histories collected by fishermen, sitting in people’s closets, filing cabinets and computers.
In addition to the fishermen, NOAA is interested in stories from gear, bait, ice or fuel salesmen, boatbuilders and mechanics, fish processors and dealers, fisheries managers and scientists and people who have been married or related to fishermen, especially those who grew up in fishing families. In order to support the project, a public database was created for the interviews students compiled.
