Tori Thomas, 29 years old at the time of the interview, is a deckhand in Point Judith, RI. Despite growing up far from the coast with no exposure to fisheries, she got a job as a fisheries observer after college, and then decided to try her luck as a deckhand.

Scope and Content Note

In this interview, Tori discusses her career as a commercial fisherman and reflects on her journey in the fishing industry. She discusses how she started as an at-sea biologist in 2013, working with the observer program for a company called MRAG Americas. She acknowledges the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry but embraces the uniqueness of her career choice. She discusses proving herself through her work and skills and being a positive representation of what women can achieve in the field. Tori also discusses the misconceptions and judgments people have about commercial fishing, emphasizing the importance of educating others about the industry and the value of local seafood.

Tori talks about finding fulfillment in a career choice that is unconventional for someone with her background: "I just knew that I needed to be connected to something. In order for me to provide my best work and put my best foot forward, I needed to feel a sense of connection. Working on the water provided me that connection. I think that throughout our life, our purpose changes. Adapting to the person we want to be, our purpose changes. Moving forward and looking back, telling future generations that you were out there doing everything that most women don’t get the opportunity to do—and it’s like, they can! We can! I think part of being fulfilled and feeling fulfilled is knowing that you’re doing something different than the regular late twenties-early thirties woman. If you think about it, most people are married and have families in their late twenties. I never felt myself being complete with that."