Tyler Chadwick, 22 years old at the time of the interview, is a waterman in Newport, NC and co-owner of Chadwick's Seafood, a business that focuses on providing fresh North Carolina seafood to customers.. Tyler and his best friend got into fishing together in their teens, and have continued fishing and marketing their catch together ever since.

Scope and Content Note

Tyler Chadwick discusses his background, fishing family history, and his journey into the fishing industry. He talks about how he and his business partner, Norris Hill, started as teenagers running crab pots and gradually expanded into other fisheries like gillnetting and flounder gigging. Tyler emphasizes the importance of addressing environmental issues such as habitat loss and water quality, which he believes are affecting fish populations more than the efforts of small-scale commercial fishermen. He also talks about their decision to start retailing seafood to counter the impact of foreign shrimp being sold as local catch. He discusses that journey establishing Chadwick Seafood. Chadwick also talks about the challenges of being a young fisherman, including financial barriers, the burden of acquiring multiple licenses, and adapting to changing fishing areas and regulations. 

Chadwick explains that his business focuses on catching and selling fish to both the wholesale and retail markets, which is unique for young fishermen in his area. He emphasizes the importance of diversifying their business to ensure its success. He also highlights the challenges young fishermen face in getting into the industry due to high costs, lack of funding and financing options, and regulatory barriers. He suggests that the government could help by reducing the cost of permits and licenses and offering support programs, such as apprenticeships or temporary licenses, to help young fishermen get started. He also talks about the impact of natural disasters like hurricanes on the fishing industry and how resilience and networking within the industry are crucial for overcoming challenges. 

"Who know’s where the industry is going to be in ten years. Where’s the industry gonna be at in two years? I don’t know where the industry is gonna be at. But I know where we’re gonna be at. We’re gonna be right there with it. We’re strapped in and we’re ready for a roller coaster ride…. Because I’m going to fight for this industry. Because this industry provides for me and my family. And it’s in my blood. So I don’t plan on giving up. I refuse to do that. I’m hard-headed… It’s been extremely hard. But there’s a lot of rewards. I would say probably my biggest reward of it all is not even taking home a paycheck. Now that helps, ‘cause you need the paycheck. But my reward when it comes to all this is when the customer that buys my seafood comes to me week after week after week after week, and says, ‘I can’t get this quality seafood anywhere else. I can’t find this good of a product anywhere.’ And they tell me how much they enjoy it. Not only is that helping our company. That’s helping the industry."