Greg Connors

Greg Connors leads by example. A hardworking fisherman, he serves as chairman of the Fixed Gear Sector and is a regular presence at industry meetings meant to move the fisheries forward.

Connors grew up in Wilmington, but summered in Wellfleet and after a short stint in college started his fishing career in Chatham. “I just fell in love with it,” he said.

Decades later, Connors, the captain of F/V Constance Sea, is still committed to his career, appreciating how success in fishing, unlike a typical 9 to 5 job, is usually directly connected to how hard you work.

He finds his work on the policy side of fisheries much the same. “If you go to the meeting, you can effect change. You can have influence,” he said. Connors, a gillnetter, was one of the first in the fleet to begin to focus on catching skate in 2001. Skates are now a successful, sustainable fishery and Connors continues to advocate for a well-managed industry.