Voices of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum

John Peabody, Point Judith, RI

John Peabody is an offshore lobsterman, although he maintains licenses for many species, out of Point Judith, RI. He is an owner/operator of a boat that goes out on multi-day fishing trips. He focuses heavily on the importance of fishing for a diversity of species and his frustration with there being too many regulations and too much paperwork to maintain each permit. He also speaks about his satisfaction in proving scientists wrong when they are not willing to listen to fishermen’s observations. He works to collect data with other fishermen in southern New England to provide a broader dataset on species in the region.

Interviewed by Galen Koch and Kaitlyn Clark at the Maine Fishermen's Forum in 2018. To hear the full interview, please visit NOAA’s Voices Oral History Archive.