Name/Title
Silva, Capt. EdEntry/Object ID
OH00120Scope and Content
Tuna Fishing
Ed Silva was a tuna fisherman, engineer, and tuna boat captain. He is a very good narrator. His vivid descriptions include an excellent description of pole fishing. He is of Portuguese decent. In his interview, Mr. Silva describes both wooden bait boat pole fishing, and purse seine fishing. He describes why pole fishing changed to purse seine fishing. He describes the hard work and long hour of bait fishing, icing fish, working in the engine room and gathering bait for the next days work. He explains the share payment process in very simple terms. He also gives a good description of the log fishing process.
Mr. Silva also draws a sharp contrast between the living standards on bait boats vs. purse seiner. He worked both as an engineer and later as a port engineer. He describes the challenges of fishing including both the problem with foreign competition and the problems with the dolphin controversy. Mr. He gives a good description of the purse seine nylon nets and the purse seine technology. He emotionally and vividly expresses his feelings at the loss of the tuna fleets in San Diego. His interview is clear and expressive.Collection
Oral History CollectionLexicon
Search Terms
Oral History, Tuna Fishing