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Interview with Harold Smith regarding the history of the Australian fishing industry

Date10 March 1990

Object numberANMS0871[094]

NameInterview

MediumCompact disk and tape

ClassificationsBorn digital media

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Murdoch University

Terms

DescriptionA recorded interview with Harold Smith, in Port Albert, Victoria as part of a series titled 'History of the Australian Fishing Industry'. It contains information on Harold Smith's early years, his family history in fishing, transport by train, species caught, sharking, boats and engines, long lines, the war years, mesh nets and reels, method of fishing, transport of fish, limited entry, amateur efforts, enforcement, fishermen's organisations, getting started in fishing, easy days, seine boats, retirement, lenght of net, market for shark, handling shark, crayfishing, transport and pricing, size of catches, modern technology, changes in techniques, number of pots, weather conditions, lost of vessels, overfishing and fishing management.HistoryHarold Smith, 75 years old at the time of this interview, spent a long working lifetime fishing out of Port Albert, like his father and grandfather before him. In Harold's case he fished mainly for shark and crayfish in Bass Strait. On the tape he gives a clear exposition of the boats and gear employed and the fishing methods, using long lines and mesh nets as well as cray pots. He also talks of the changes in technology he has seen and the effects of this on the fishermen and their catches. Other matters of concern for fishermen that Harold Smith discusses are weather conditions and loss of vessels, overfishing and recreational fishing methods as well as management practices and their effects on professional fishermen. This recorded interview with Harold Smith is part of a larger series produced as result of an oral history research project conducted by the Economics Department of Murdoch University and coordinated by Malcolm Tull. The project commissioned researchers in every Australian state to interview fishermen and others involved in catching, processing and marketing fish. Their research involved questions about daily work, personal memories of life in the Australian fishing industry as well as questions about the economics of the industry. SignificanceThis collection of recorded interviews is significant in providing a comprehensive record of commercial fishing from the 1950s to the 1990s across Australia.