William E. Wiley

Employed at Marinovich Trawl Co. from May 1, 1978, until the business closed on June 2, 2002, William E. Wiley has been an invaluable part of the seafood industry using his craftsmanship in many diverse ways.

After serving in the US Navy on highly classified projects, Mr. Wiley found his passion and livelihood working at the trawl company with Mr. Steve Marinovich. He trained the newly arrived Vietnamese fishermen on netmaking, setting trawl doors, splicing cables and other tasks required of fisherman. In the defense of our country, Mr. Wiley even helped design and construct nets that were used in “minesweeping” off the shores of Kuwait. This effort was recognized by a highly decorated Rear Admiral after a successful mission.

William was also instrumental in the design of the early T.E.D. (Turtle Excluder Device) used to decrease the incidence of sea turtle bycatch and thus supporting survival of the species. This device is installed in the trawls and allows the sea turtles to escape and increase their populations.

One particular project that brought pride to both William and the seafood industry was the creation of the original “Golden Fisherman” statue that was originally placed in the Vieux Marche shopping mall in Biloxi and later relocated to the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum grounds. Together with Mr. George “Henry” Gray, Mr. Wiley helped weld this more than two-ton statue commemorating those who contributed to the Gulf Coast seafood industry.

For his more than forty years of service to the maritime and seafood industries, we recognize Mr. William E. Wiley in the Heritage Hall of Fame.