Donald F. Clattenburg, born on September 5, 1925, in Port Midway, Nova Scotia, is a retired commercial fisherman with a rich history in the industry. His father, also a fisherman, moved to the United States before Donald was born, visiting his family in Nova Scotia annually . Donald moved to the United States in August 1941, just before World War II, and settled in New Bedford. He began his career in commercial fishing shortly after returning from the war, following in his father's footsteps.

Donald Spooner is a former Navy man who has worked in a variety of jobs before finding his place in the fishing industry, where he specialized in making "doors" for trawlers. Born and raised in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, Spooner has lived in the same house all his life. His parents were originally from Boston, but his mother was from New Bedford. After his parents divorced when he was just six months old, he was raised by his great aunt in Hope Beach, a section of Fairhaven. Spooner's connection with the fishing industry began in his youth.

Donna Cunio is a 51-year-old woman from Norwell, Massachusetts. She is the wife of a retired merchant marine captain who now serves as the manager of the New Bedford State Pier. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Donna has a deep appreciation for the maritime industry, particularly the hard work of longshoremen and fishermen. Despite not being raised near the water, Donna has a strong connection to the sea through her husband's career. She occasionally joined him on his trips, experiencing first-hand the hard work and dedication of the crew.

Donna Goodwin is a seasoned professional in the fishing industry, specifically in the area of splicing. Born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she comes from a long line of fishermen, with her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all having been involved in the industry. Donna was taught how to splice three-strand ropes at the age of seven by her father. She later worked for New England Ropes for about 20 years before starting her own splicing business, the Splice Girls, with her daughter.

Edie Mikina was born in Angola, in West Africa, of Portuguese heritage and came to the US in 1970.  She is the owner of Edie and Marie Boat Settlements in New Bedford, which handles accounting work for fishing vessels out of New Bedford and Fairhaven, which she describes as “one business handling 50 businesses.”  She talks about her work and services to fishermen, especially to Portuguese clients, and contrasts past and present in the boat settlement business and in the industry.  This is a lively and informative interview and conveys a great deal of historical and topi

Edward Barrett is a seasoned commercial fisherman with over three decades of experience in the fishing industry. Born in Boston in 1955, Barrett grew up in the coastal town of Marshfield, Massachusetts, where he was exposed to the ocean and fishing from an early age. His first role models in the industry were his older cousin and his friends, who were involved in mossing. Barrett's career in fishing began after he completed college. He initially worked as a sternman and crewman on boats before attending a fishing school at the University of Rhode Island.

Edward "Eddie" Fortes, a former fish cutter, worked on the New Bedford waterfront for 35 years. Eddie's father was a sword fisherman and his family owned three fishing boats. His taught Carlos Rafael how to cut fish and was once the fastest fish cutter in the city.  Eddie has two daughters, one is a school teacher in the New Bedford High School system and is also a gymnastics teacher for the city of New Bedford, while the other is a veterinarian in New Jersey who used to be a New England Patriots cheerleader.

Elias Tsoy discusses his work in the fishing industry as a ship painter, including a typical work day and common boat painting projects; his background in other jobs and his emigration from Guatemala.

This oral history was produced in 2017 as part of the Workers on the Waterfront Oral History Project conducted by New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center with funding from an Archie Green Fellowship provided by the Library of Congress.

Ellen Schomer has been a commercial fisherman for over 30 years. She began shucking scallops in Provincetown, MA before crewing on scallopers. She discusses her start in the industry as well as how it is to be a woman in a man's world.

Eoin Rochford is the Plant Manager of the Northern Pelagic Group (NORPEL) fish processing plant in New Bedford, MA. In this interview he discusses the evolution of the fishing industry in New Bedford and New England. He also explains his personal history and career, including his time working as an engineer on fishing boats, fishing in Alaska, updating fishing boats, working at the NORPEL plant in New Bedford, and exporting fish to Nigeria. Mr. Rochford explains his opinions about immigrant workers in America, the future of alternative energies, and the fishing industry.