Malvin Kvilhaug, a Norwegian fisherman and boat owner, was born on October 21, 1938, in Karmoy, an island in Norway. He came from a fishing family, with his father and grandfather also engaged in fishing. Kvilhaug started fishing for lobsters on his own at the age of 10 or 11, using rowboats and dories. After enlisting in the Merchant Marines at the age of 16, he later joined the Navy in Norway at 18. In January 1961, at the age of 22, Kvilhaug arrived in the United States and settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Leslie Trott is a retired fisherman of European American descent, who spent a significant part of his life fishing from the port of New Bedford. Born in New Bedford but raised in Nantucket, Trott comes from a long line of fishermen, with his father and great grandfather both having been involved in the industry. Trott began his fishing career at the age of sixteen and continued for forty-three years, with a brief stint in the merchant marine and the Army.