Anita Best, born in 1948, is a female singer hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Raised on Merasheen Island and later moving to St. John’s, she grew up in a family deeply connected to the fishing trade. Her father and brothers were fishermen, and she was immersed in the seasonal aspects of fishing and fish processing.

Armando Estudante is a male fisherman and entrepreneur of Portuguese descent. Born in Portugal, he immigrated to the United States in 1978 at the age of 50s, initially visiting his parents in Philadelphia. However, during a trip to New Bedford to explore the whaling museum, he discovered the city's vibrant fishing community and decided to settle there permanently. Armando had prior experience in the fishing industry in Portugal, having worked on merchant vessels and factory trawlers. In Portugal, he was in charge of a fleet of boats for a fishing company.

Arne Ole Andersen is a retired boat owner. He was born in 1929 in Denmark and grew up in a fishing and farming village. He began his maritime career at fourteen, working on Baltic traders and later on larger ships, including Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish vessels. He sailed on American ships during the Korean War and settled in New Bedford, where he fished primarily out of the port. Throughout his career, Andersen faced various challenges, including shipwrecks and adverse weather conditions. He engaged in different types of fishing, including ground fishing and swordfishing. 

Woody Bowers is a former fisherman and captain who fished for 17 years and then went on occasional fishing trips. Woody Bowers used to fish for codfish, haddock, flounders, and yellow tails, among other species, and the boat he worked on could carry up to two hundred thousand pounds of fish. The boat mostly fished on Georges Bank, where Bowers looked for the species of fish he wanted based on his past experience.

Barbara Merry, also known as the "Marlinspike Artist," is a skilled rigger and knot enthusiast from Snug Harbor, Rhode Island. She was born in Spokane, Washington, and raised in Newport Beach, California, where her father owned a wholesale/retail marine company. Growing up on a wood cruising boat, Barbara developed a love for ropework and knotting. She initially started with macramé for extra income but eventually switched to ropework after the decline of macramé.

Bob Mitchell has deep connections to the fishing industry. He was born and raised in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and comes from a family of Fairhaven natives. After completing his service in the Navy, his father, who was also a fisherman, started a business called R.A. Mitchell Company in 1954, specializing in marine engines and engine repairs for the fishing industry. Bob Mitchell joined the family business in 1961 after completing high school. He further pursued his education in England, attending the Lister Engine Factory School for a year and a half.

Carlos Rafael was born on the island of Corvo in the Azores and immigrated to New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1968. He is a prominent fishermen and the other of one of the largest fishing fleets on the East Coast of the United States and of Carlos Seafood, Inc. He is known for his dominance in the New England fishing industry and his role in shaping fisheries management policies.

Dan Orchard began his career as a fisherman, working in different fisheries along the Pacific Coast, from Southern California to Alaska. After leaving the Coast Guard, he ventured into lobster fishing but soon realized his passion lay in bigger boats, particularly draggers. Dan then worked on the boat The Travis and Natalie out of Point Judith, Rhode Island, where he gained extensive knowledge about fishing, including cutting, gutting, cleaning, and stacking fish on ice. Dan went on to explore different fisheries, including squid fishing and even caught rare species along the way.

Deb Shrader is a passionate advocate for fishermen and their families, dedicated to ensuring their rights and the sustainability of ocean resources. Despite having no family background in fishing, she married Ron Shrader, a fisherman and captain, which ignited her interest in the fishing industry and its challenges. She became a driving force behind Shore Support, an advocacy group she founded to bridge the gap between fishermen and regulatory processes.

Donald Clattenburg is an 81-year-old retired boat owner from Fairhaven, Nova Scotia. Born in Port Midway, Nova Scotia, he moved to New Bedford in 1941 with his three brothers. His father owned four fishing boats in New Bedford, and DC began his career in the fishing industry at the age of fifteen, working in Homers Filet House. He was drafted into the Navy at eighteen during WWII and participated in the invasion of the beach at Okinawa. After the war, he returned to fishing, working with his uncle on the Two Brothers and later on his father's boat.