John Pelicas describes in detail his work and life as a marine mechanic at R.A. Mitchell, where he has worked for 31 years. An immigrant from Portugal, he comes from a fishing family and has always been a part of the community on the waterfront. He discusses dangers if the job, fishing regulations, various engine fabrications, his deep commitment to the job, difficulties with computerized engines and what he sees as a bright future for the fishing industry.

Jose Couto started working at New Bedford Ship Supply the year that he graduated from high school. He was hired initially because he had taken bookkeeping courses and was fluent in Portuguese, but since then has been promoted as a manager. In addition to bookkeeping, he deals with buying and stocking the store with supplies, often consulting with his customers to meet their needs. In this interview, Jose also discusses changes in the industry and his own experience.

Jose “Joe” Magalhaes describes his work as a paint shop foreman for the Fairhaven Shipyard located in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. He is a Portuguese immigrant who is fifty-seven and has been working at Fairhaven Shipyard since he left high school at sixteen years old. He talks about how he got started “back in the day” and learned his craft from his highly skilled co-workers.

Kaare Ness, a Norwegian immigrant, was born in Norway and moved to the United States in 1955. He initially settled in New Bedford/Fairhaven area and lived there for thirteen years. In 1968, Ness relocated to Alaska and then moved to Seattle in 1969. He owned a seafood processing and distributing company in Seattle, focusing on scallops and later transitioning to the king crab fishery. Ness had a family history in fishing, with his father and uncle having connections to the industry. He built boats for king crab fishing and continued in that line of work until his retirement.

Jennifer Mitchell, also known as Jennifer Demalo, is part of the Mitchell family business. She grew up in New Bedford and attended Bishop Stang High School before graduating from Emmanuel College. Initially working as a business manager at a preschool in Boston, Jennifer joined the family business after her father asked her to work with him. She has been involved in bookkeeping and similar administrative tasks. Jennifer has been with the business for around eight years and is married with two children.

In this interview, Karen Joseph describes her experiences growing up in her family’s business, the RA Mitchell Company, on the New Bedford waterfront. She discusses her experience being a female in a leadership role in a male-dominated industry, as well as the positives and negatives of working in a family business. Finally, she discusses her hopes for the future of the fishing industry.

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.

Kevin Hart is a former lobsterman who now runs the only water boat delivering water to fishing boats in New Bedford and Fairhaven. He grew up in Westport, where his father was part-owner of a lobster boat; he now lives in Dartmouth. He talks about being the only water boat provider, the decline of the industry and its current status in New Bedford, even with current prosperity of scalloping, as well as voicing future ideas for New Bedford with and without the industry.

Kirsten Bendiksen talks about her work in her family’s business, Reidar’s Manufacturing, a gear manufactory/support industry in New Bedford, formerly in Fairhaven. Talks about her Norwegian immigrant heritage and marrying a Norwegian fisherman, and later starting their busy gear shop, one of the few left to serve the industry. Kirsten works as bookkeeper in the business, which also employs her husband and their two sons and other workers.

Kristin Decas served as the Executive Director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission (NBHDC). However, please note that there may have been changes in personnel or positions since then. Kristin Decas is an experienced executive in the maritime industry with a background in port management and economic development. She has held leadership positions in several ports across the United States and has been recognized for her contributions to the maritime sector.