Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Matthew Barr
  • For 300 years, the fishermen of Sneads Ferry, N.C., have practiced sustainable, small- scale commercial fishing, passing on the traditional lore of the sea from generation to generation. In the early 21st century, imported farm-raised shrimp, skyrocketing coastal development, and complex regulations threatened to push many fishermen to the brink of disaster. Wild Caught captures the wisdom and resilience of an extraordinary community.

Interviewee Collection Sort descending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Clara and Luther Norris Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with Clara and Luther Norris, members of a fishing family who suffered tragic loss of their son in the New River

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
Nancy Edens Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with Nancy Sneads, activist for fishermen and promoter of "Wild Caught" shrimp

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
Johnny Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with Johnny, a deckhand

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
John Norris Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with John Norris, veteran shrimper and minister

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
B.J. Copeland Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with B.J. Copeland, NC Sea Grant Director, 1973-1996 and Professor of Zoology at NC State University

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
Marc Basnight Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with Marc Basnight, President Pro Tempore of North Carolina State Senate, 1993 to 2010, and longtime advocate for commercial fishermen

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
Mack Liverman Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with Mack Liverman, a veteran fisherman

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
Richard Norris Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with Richard Norris, veteran shrimper

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
John Edens Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with John Edens, a lifelong fisherman

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project
Johnny Wayne Midgett Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town

Interview with Johnny Wayne Midgett in 2003

Matthew Barr Sneads Ferry, NC Unheard Voices Project