Fishing for the Stories Left
Christine Kao
Fishing for the Stories Left documents narratives behind the ebbing fishing industry around Los Angeles Harbor – the nation’s leading fishing port until the end of World War II.
Following the Pearl Harbor Attack, Japanese fishers who were the backbone of the bustling fishing community in San Pedro, Los Angeles, were evicted. Fishing and canning operations on Terminal Island – once the most prosperous in the world – continued to sink in the following decades.
The photo book reveals the fishing community’s perspectives amidst both surging marine pollution and increasing conservancy efforts, studying how individuals who work closely with the water express their relationships with the ocean.
Along with portraits of fishers and boat staff, the book also showcases the industrialized landscape encroaching on the natural waterfront of the Port of Los Angeles and examines how the natural environment acquiesces to man-made developments.