John Liarkos, a male, was interviewed on September 24th, 2005, at the New Bedford Harbormaster House. At the time of the interview, he was 51 years old and resided in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Liarkos is the owner of Sea Fuels, a marine diesel station. Born in New Bedford, Liarkos grew up in a family of seven children. His father, originally from New York, and mother, from Canada, both moved to New Bedford during their youth. Liarkos's father and uncle owned Stanley Oil Company, which supplied fuel to the fishing industry.

John Xifares, born on April 14, 1936, in New Bedford, is a retired superior court judge with a rich family background rooted in Greece and the New Bedford fishing industry. Before his tenure as a judge, Xifares was a lawyer, representing fish lumpers, seafood workers, and teamsters who represented fishermen for about a decade. His legal career also included serving as co-council for health and welfare funds and pension funds for these unions. Xifares' early life was closely tied to the fishing industry, with his family owning several bars on the waterfront and a couple of fishing boats.

Margaret Curole is a retired shrimp fisherman and a commercial fishing advocate from Galliano, Louisiana. She is of Cajun ethnic background. Curole did not come from a fishing heritage, but entered the industry after marrying a fisherman. Her husband's family has a long history in the Galliano area. Curole and her husband lived in a Louisiana marsh trapping camp where they engaged in shrimp fishing. Her husband quit his job the day before their daughter was born to build his first boat. Curole has been actively involved in commercial fishing advocacy.

Eva Liput is a fishing vessel captain and a Polish immigrant who moved to the United States in 1986. She grew up in Poland, where her father worked as a fisherman on George's Bank. Eva developed an interest in sailing at a young age, influenced by her older brother who was a sailor. After immigrating to the United States, Eva first settled in Newport, Rhode Island, before eventually moving to New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 1986, she started working as a deckhand on the fishing vessel Michigan, a scalloper.

Kevin Dawson is a settlement house owner and has a background in the fishing industry. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and his parents emigrated from Newfoundland. His father used to run trawlers out of the Fulton Fish Market in New York but moved to Fairhaven, Massachusetts, when Dawson was ten due to the convenience of the freezer trucks coming from New Bedford. Dawson started working on boats at a young age, painting and performing various tasks.

Janice Marshall is a lifelong resident of Smith Island, Maryland, a small island located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. Born and raised in a family with a long history of working the water, Marshall's life has been deeply intertwined with the island and its maritime traditions. Her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all watermen, and her father died while working the water. Marshall herself has worked as a crab picker and waterman's wife.

Rosemarie Denn is a female co-owner of a fishing supply business, Cape Fisherman's Supply, located in Chatham, Massachusetts. She was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has a European American ethnic background. Her connection to the fishing industry began with her grandfather, who hailed from a fishing village in Newfoundland. As a child, she spent her summers in Rhode Island, engaging in beach activities and quahoging. She moved to Chatham to be with her husband, who worked at the Chatham Fish Pier.

Dave Martins is a 35-year-old fisheries technician at SMAST (School for Marine Science and Technology) based in New Bedford. He was born on October 22, 1971, at Saint Annes Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Azorean/Portuguese parents who immigrated from the island of Saint Michael in the Azores, Portugal. Despite his family not being directly involved in fishing, it was a significant part of their life, both for recreation and home consumption.

Dave Densmore and Pat Densmore are a married couple who have both worked as fishermen. Dave Densmore is a male fisherman who hails from Kodiak, Alaska, and has fished from the same port. Pat Densmore is a female fisherman who has also worked as a farmer. They both have a deep connection to the fishing industry and have firsthand experience in the challenges and rewards of this occupation.

Fred Mattera is a 53-year-old male boat owner and former fisherman from Point Judith, Rhode Island. He has a college education with a major in Political Science. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Fred comes from an Italian descent, with his grandparents migrating to the United States from Italy at the turn of the century. His family settled in Cranston, Rhode Island, where Fred spent most of his childhood. Fred's journey into the fishing industry began during his time at the University of Rhode Island.