Matthew Barr interviewed David Griffith for the Wild Caught project. David Griffith is a cultural anthropologist and professor at East Carolina University with a background in creative writing. Griffith’s work has focused on various occupational cultures, including farm workers, fishermen, and food processing workers. In this interview, Griffith discusses his academic journey, including his dissertation on Jamaican sugarcane workers at the University of Florida. He draws parallels between the historical migration of Jamaican workers to the U.S. and contemporary Mexican workers in North Carolina's seafood processing industry. Griffith's research highlights the continuity of labor issues across different times and places, particularly focusing on temporary work visas and the conditions faced by immigrant laborers. Griffith elaborates on the primary themes of his recent book, which covers the historical and contemporary aspects of North Carolina's fishing communities. He discusses the prehistory of the coast, early European fisheries, and the complex estuary systems that support diverse fishing activities. Key issues facing these communities include coastal real estate development, regulatory pressures, and environmental challenges. Griffith emphasizes the impact of coastal development on local fishermen, detailing how rising property values and competition for marina space threaten their livelihoods. The interview also explores the cultural significance of fishing communities, their resistance to overfishing stereotypes, and the environmental knowledge held by local fishermen. Griffith addresses the common misconceptions about commercial fishing, stressing the importance of these communities in maintaining ecological balance and monitoring environmental health. He also touches on the conflicts between commercial and recreational fishermen, influenced by organized recreational fishing clubs pushing for restrictive regulations.