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History Meets Art on the River In a day and age where life is increasingly hurried and commercialized, there are still places that evoke a sense of days gone by and people deeply rooted in a way of life that is simpler and simply, a work of art. On the north end of Amelia Island, […]

The Changing Tides At one time, Burbank Trawl Company was the largest producer of fishing nets in the United States. Stories about the family business tell of nets made for President Richard Nixon and a fishing boat that accidentally caught a submarine in its trawl nets. At its height, the shrimping industry they supported saw […]

Salty and Superstitious Life as a Shrimper…… So what does it take to be a shrimp boat captain or a striker? Billy says, “You have to be a lover of the sea, with salt in your veins.” He’ll tell you it takes a tolerance of weather, high seas and windy days. “Most shrimpers have some […]

The Making of a Net Maker Billy Burbank, III, is an institution in Fernandina. His family’s shrimp nets have been used all over the world and, today, you will see their sport nets being used in many of the professional sports leagues. In fact, locals can see Burbank nets in action at the Jacksonville Jaguars […]

What’s Left?  The Future of a Net Maker Billy Burbank’s innovation in net making has not only impacted the shrimping industry, worldwide, but now serves sports leagues internationally. He has also been awarded the highest honor in the state for those who have made a life-long contribution to Florida’s cultural heritage. On January 13th, 2014, […]