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Des Nobels lived and worked in the fishing industry on the north coast of B.C. his entire adult life, from being a crew member to a vessel owner. He became active in the Northern Gillnetters' Association in the 1980s, and later was president of Local 37 of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU). He recounts his experiences on the water, fishing various species, as well as the numerous campaigns the union became involved in over licensing. He discusses the decline of the…

In this 1.5 hr conversation, Rod Mickleburgh and Donna Sacuta interview Joy Thorkelson. Joy is a resident of Prince Rupert and held positions as organizer and president of the UFAWU (United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union). Joy describes how she came to Prince Rupert, some of what she experienced as a shoreworker doing multiple types of jobs in the canneries and her evolution as a labour activist. Throughout, her love of the fishing industry comes through clearly as she recounts wonderful…

In a follow-up interview, Joy Thorkelson, President of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union, speaks to Rod Mickelburgh and Donna Sacuta as she continues to recall the issues and actions taken by West Coast unions in the fishing industry. She begins by discussing the many devastating impacts of the Mifflin Plan on the fishing industry and on the unions that had long-dominated the industry, as the numbers of fishers and boats steadily decrease and processing jobs have almost…