Fishers and Related Fishing Workers

Description

Use nets, fishing rods, traps, or other equipment to catch and gather fish or other aquatic animals from rivers, lakes, or oceans, for human consumption or other uses. May haul game onto ship.

Tasks

  • Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments.
  • Put fishing equipment into the water and anchor or tow equipment, according to the fishing method used.
  • Maintain engines, fishing gear, and other on-board equipment; and perform minor repairs.
  • Sort, pack, and store catch in holds with salt and ice.
  • Remove catches from fishing equipment and measure them to ensure compliance with legal size.
  • Locate fish, using fish-finding equipment.
  • Return undesirable or illegal catches to the water.
  • Pull and guide nets, traps, and lines onto vessels, by hand or using hoisting equipment.
  • Direct fishing operations, and supervise fishing crew members.
  • Signal other workers to move, hoist, and position loads.
  • Compute positions and plot courses on charts to navigate vessels, using instruments such as compasses, sextants, and charts.
  • Oversee the purchase of supplies, gear, and equipment such as fuel, netting, and cables.
  • Attach nets, slings, hooks, blades, and/or lifting devices to cables, booms, hoists, and/or dredges.
  • Transport fish to processing plants or to buyers.
  • Interpret weather and vessel conditions to determine appropriate responses.
  • Wash decks, conveyors, knives, and other equipment, using brushes, detergents, and water.
  • Connect accessories such as floats, weights, flags, lights, or markers to nets, lines, or traps.
  • Load and unload vessel equipment and supplies, by hand or using hoisting equipment.
  • Harvest marine life for human or animal consumption, using diving or dredging equipment, traps, barges, rods, reels, and/or tackle.
  • Hire qualified crew members, and assign their duties.
  • Plan fishing operations, establishing the fish to be sought, the fishing location, the method of capture, and the duration of the trip.
  • Stand lookout for schools of fish, and for steering and engine-room watches.
  • Operate rowboats, dinghies, and/or skiffs to transport fishers, divers, and/or sponge hookers; or to tow and position fishing equipment.
  • Sell catches by contacting and negotiating with buyers or by sending catches to fish auctions.
  • Club or gaff large fish to enable hauling them into fishing vessel.
  • Monitor distribution of proceeds from sales of catches to ensure that crew members receive their prearranged portions.
  • Record in logbooks specifics of fishing activities such as dates, harvest areas, yields, and weather and sea conditions.
  • Estimate costs of operations and plan fishing season budgets accordingly.
  • Share fishing expertise through activities such as writing for fishing magazines, hosting television shows, or testing and endorsing fishing equipment.
  • Participate in wildlife management, disease control, and research activities.

Knowledge

Food Production — Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Transportation — Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Geography — Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Telecommunications — Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills

Equipment Maintenance — Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Repairing — Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Operation and Control — Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Troubleshooting — Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Selection — Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Operation Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities

Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination — The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Reaction Time — The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Extent Flexibility — The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Rate Control — The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Dynamic Strength — The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.

Work Activities

Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment — How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Interests

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Artistic — Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Work Style

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Work Values

Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

Lay Titles

National Wages and Employment Info


Median Wages (2008): $13.44 hourly, $27,950 annual.
Employment (2008): 1,110 employees