Tales of Landings and Legacies: African Americans in Georgia's Coastal Fisheries

Abstract

Post-civil war, African Americans developed communities in Georgia where traditional fishing practices created family fleets, processing plants, and other self-sustaining fisheries work. The decline in African American fishermen since that period has been attributed to increased fishing costs, little access to capital, and a reluctance to have children work in labor-intensive fisheries professions (Blount, MAST (Maritime Studies), 5, 2007, 5). Additionally, fluctuations in commercial landings may have had a negative influence. This study tested these hypotheses by comparing first-hand accounts from current and former African American fishermen and their families with trends in Georgia fisheries data (1950–2015). Analyses of the histories and landings data indicated that African Americans fished the most abundant species during the years described by the participants (1950–1985) and that reasons for fishing or not fishing could be classified into 8 major themes related to work experience, Gullah Geechee values, and generational shifts.