Creator

Fieldworker/Collector

Subject

Geographic Term

Description

One audio cassette. Robert Lannon discusses the Fernandina shrimping industry in its early days (1930s?); differences between prices for shrimp then and now; shrimp becoming more of a commercial product for export to other cities in the US such as New York and the importance of Italian (Italian-American?) shrimpers in this process; difficulties in the shrimping business during the Great Depression; his belief that Fernandina Beach was the first area where commercial shrimping took place; best times and places to catch shrimp; effects of pollution on the Fernandina shrimping industry. Capt. Van discusses the technicalities of shrimping at length, including: state laws governing nets; where one can fish; live bait fishing; different licenses needed for shrimping; bio-catch; the cost of operating a shrimping business; cost of shrimp; and other such topics. He also speaks about his own preferences in shrimping and nets, the Organized Fishermen of Florida (OFF), his personal history, and the way he operates his own shrimping business. Interviews conducted during fieldwork for video documentary on Florida shrimping called Fishing All My Days, and was made by the Florida Folklife Program, and the University of Florida (WUFT-TV). A transcript of the interview can be found in S 1579, box 1, folder: C86-99 through C86-149.