Alaska offers plenty of fishing jobs due to its long coastline. Traditional fishermen use rods and nets, while others work as captains, sailors, or engineers on commercial trawlers. Fishermen earn a share of sales revenue from their catch.
The state of Alaska is the largest of the 50 states that make up the United States, and due to its long coastline, Alaska fisherman jobs are not in short supply. Traditional fishermen use fishing rods and nets and operate close to shore in small vessels. Other people find Alaska fisherman jobs that involve working as captains, sailors or engineers on large commercial trawlers. The Bering Sea produces a harvest of different marine species throughout the year, and local fishermen are often focused on catching fish or crabs.
Many people with Alaska fisherman jobs work for small, locally owned family businesses. These companies operate small coastal vessels with crews of one to six people. Fishermen on these boats use nets and hooks to catch herring and salmon during the summer months. Each boat has a licensed captain who sails the ship and decides where to launch the nest. The fishing season lasts only a few months; therefore, most fishermen keep other jobs during the remainder of the year.
A large number of Alaska fisherman jobs are found on offshore vessels heading into deeper waters hundreds of miles off the coast of Alaska. As with smaller vessels, each boat has a captain who must navigate and use sonar and satellite technology to judge the weather and locate areas with the most abundant stocks of marine life. Deck hands drop metal crates called pots into the ocean and then use on-deck winches to transport them back to deck. Anglers on larger vessels often look for several types of shellfish or whitefish.
On large vessels, a deck chief supervises the crew’s activities. The deckhand generally controls the winch and supervises the unloading of the pots. Fishermen can face fines for catching crabs and other marine life that have not yet reached maturity; therefore, the deck chief must ensure that the crew throws smaller fish and crabs back into the ocean. An engineer ensures that the boat’s engine and winch remain operational and that at least one fisherman on each boat has to act as a first aid officer.
Alaska fishermen do not receive a base salary and instead earn a share of sales revenue from the marine life they catch. The ship’s captain and deckhand earn a larger share of the money than other crew members. Deck hands usually earn a 10% share of sales revenue, but first-year hands only earn 1%.
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