Fisher

This occupation is found in individually owned boats with small numbers of crew, up to company owned boats with large crews. They may operate inshore and offshore and use a range of catching methods. They use mobile and static gear, such as trawling, netting, potting and hand lining. Fishers work as part of a team. They may be at sea from a few hours at a time, up to a week. The type of boat, fishery and fishing method and gear being used will affect this.

Fishing is highly regulated and governed by complex fisheries management.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to sustainably harvest fish and shellfish. Fishing methods range from static gears such as shellfish pots through to modern, selective, high-tech trawl equipment. A fisher works as part of a team, both onshore and at sea. They are involved in the entire end-to-end process, through to transporting the catch to market to enable it to be sold. They set up the fishing gear and fit it to a boat and watch-keep on a navigational passage to and from fishing grounds. They deploy and retrieve gear. They may use onboard hydraulics and powered machinery. They catch, process, store and land the fish (or shellfish). Fishers also help look after the sea. They collect data for policy makers. This data informs plans for fishing, catch limits and quotas to ensure stocks remain sustainable. A Fisher adapts and improves processes to improve sustainability. They adapt to seasonal changes and vary their approach to catch different types of fish. They also adapt their approach in response to the sea, tides, and weather conditions.

A Fisher is likely to be involved in maintaining the boat. They can progress to roles such as: experienced deckhand mate, skipper of the boat, onboard marine engineer, onboard chef/ fisher on larger boats, fisheries science/ observer, gear technologist, offshore survey and energy worker. There are also opportunities to become self-employed and a boat owner. This is a rewarding occupation. It involves working outdoors and can be physically demanding.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with the skipper, boat owners and crew members and fisheries observers. They may include: Enforcement officers, Port and authorities, Scientists and Safety advisors. Onshore, they may have contact with logistics companies, harbour staff and fish market employees.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for complying with maritime and safety Regulations. They must use personal protective equipment and check that it has been maintained. They are likely to report to a skipper or boat owner. They need to follow instructions and react quickly and positively to feedback. They will work as part of a team, logging details of the catch and reporting them to the skipper or boat owner. This may include the species caught along with estimates of size and weight. This will enable the skipper and boat to comply with regulations and submit live catch data. They will have to solve problems on a daily basis, taking into account changing weather and sea conditions. They will suggest improvements to working practices to increase efficiency, improve safety and ensure sustainability. Extra requirements may be to help new crew members or carry out navigation duties. Any food preparation should be carried out considering basic food hygiene and the cleanliness of the boat should be maintained at all times.