Amelia Island, Birthplace of the Modern Shrimping Industry

A vivid history of how Amelia Island revolutionized global shrimping through innovation and community.

Amelia Island: Birthplace of the Modern Shrimping Industry, tells the story of how a small barrier island community in Northeast Florida left its mark on a worldwide industry.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, an assortment of upstart dreamers and pioneers living on Amelia Island made a series of innovations that would revolutionize commercial shrimping.
Master fishermen, net makers, and boat builders from different parts of the world gravitated to the island, and this infusion of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures created a truly unique community.
Shrimping and its symbiotic industries brought economic stability to an area in desperate need of direction, and the colorful characters that came along with the tide have become part of the island's identity: past, present, and future. History is alive, and so are the people who make it.