Net Making and Net Fishing in Florida

Documents and Audio

Billy Burbank III, Net Maker

In a July 1980 interview conducted by folklorist Peggy Bulger, longtime net maker and Fernandina resident Billy Burbank III discusses the history and practices of the net making trade. The interview begins with Burbank describing how his grandfather began the family business, Burbank Trawl Makers Inc., in 1915.

Billy Burbank
Interview With Billy Burbank III, Net Maker

"Strangest catch?...Probably be oh, submarines. An actual submarine in someone's net started towing the boat backwards."

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State of Florida Publications

Commercial Fishing Gear and Fishing Methods in Florida, 1955
Commercial Fishing Gear and Fishing Methods in Florida, 1955

This publication is part of a technical series created by the State of Florida Board of Conservation. It describes the types of commercial fishing gear used in Florida at the time it was written.

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Report of the Fish Commission of the State of Florida, 1898
Report of the Fish Commission of the State of Florida, 1898

In 1898, Governor William D. Bloxham appointed a commission to enforce the laws and provide for the preservation, protection and propagation of the fish and shellfish industries of the state. This is the first annual report issued by the commissioners.

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