Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle (14 page)
Authors: Joe Lamacchia,Bridget Samburg
Tags: #Business
The Work
Being a fisher involves strenuous work, long hours, seasonal employment, and some hazards. This work is best learned by doing. Hang around the docks, ask if you can work on board a fishing vessel, make yourself useful to the captain, and pay attention to howthe lines, nets, and fish are all handled. “Make enough of a pest of yourself until you get hired” is what Grader recommends. “Either you get it out of your system, or you find out it’s for you, ” says Grader of the desire to be a commercial fisher.
Fishers and fishing boat operators catch and trap a variety of oceangoing creatures from tuna, swordfish, and octopus to clams, lobsters, and scallops. Some boats go out hundreds of miles from shore for days at a time with multiple-person crews. These vessels tend to bring back larger hauls. Captains are responsible for overseeing the entire fishing operation and decide the location to fish, the method of doing so, and how the goods will be sold. He or she is also responsible for the ever-important safety of the crew. The first mate tends to be the captain’s assistant, assumes control of the vessel when the captain is off-duty, and must be familiar with navigation equipment and the boat’s overall operation. Themate also directs the crew. A boatswain, or highly experienced deckhand, will direct others as well as repair equipment and help with hauling a catch. While on board, the entire crew is working to catch, haul, clean, and preserve fish. Cleaning and securing the boat are other major ongoing tasks.
Some boats routinely stick closer to shore and spend more time in shallow waters. Although the duties of the crew are primarily the same, the day boat operations do not require preparations to bemade formul-tinight trips, which allows everyone to spend more nights on land than at sea.
Success in the Real World
Jerry Tilley, fisher, Westport, Washington
“There are times on the ocean when life doesn’t get any better, ” says James Tilley. At fifty-two he’s seen sea turtles, a killer whale givebirth, andbreathtaking sunsets.Butwhat really occupieshis time are his three fishing boats and a near-constant monitoring of the sea. Depending on the season, Tilley catches king crab, tuna, prawns, or halibut.
Tilley became a bit of a household name when, as captain, he and his crewwere featured on
Deadliest Catch
, theNationalGeographic television series about the dangers of fishing.Tilley has been working in the industry since he was a child. “It was really the only game in town, ” he says. “I grewup in one big fishing family.” FromcoastalWestport, Washington, he and his family, including three sons and a daughter, became favorites on the show.
Growing up, Tilley says he prettymuch hated fishing, as any kidmight hate the thing his parentsmake himdomost.Plus he used to get violently ill fromseasickness. “I didn’t havemuch of a choice, ” and so hewent along on various expeditionswith his family. And then he realized itwas a great way to make a living and itwas something he knewinside and out.Thirty-five years into his career as a fisher, Tilley says he loves the independence he has and enjoys running the show, calling the shots, and not having someone else tell himwhat to do.
Tilley says the work is rewarding, but it can be backbreaking.He even suggested to his children that they choose a different career.Still, one of his sons opted to stickwith fishing, just like his dad.Tilley says there are days when thework is so tough that “you pull something out of yourself that you think isn’t humanly impossible.” Tilley is frank about the kind of people who shouldn’t even think about getting into fishing. “A kid who’s never been away from home, and who has a mom who’s been doing his laundry? It won’t work.”
Depending on the trip, Tilley may haul between fifty thousand and one hundred thousand pounds of Dungeness crab.You’d think a fisher-manmight not want to ever eat what he catches, having to stare at it and smell it and handle it all day.But notTilley. “It’smy favorite.I love it, ” he says of crab.He used to stay out at sea for as long as twenty-eight dayswhen he was a kid, but his trips now are more like seven to ten days. If he’s had a string of long trips, his wife will often join himto break up the routine.
Tilley puts safety first, and he says it’s crucial that any captain do so. “There is a fine line between being brave and being stupid.” But he’s never lost a single crew member, something he’s proud to say. He also hasn’t entirely overcome his tendency to get seasick, even after all these years. It’s become less severe, and now Tilley considers it a good day if he’s only dealing with a bit of nausea. Tilley is out at sea as often as possible and suspects hewill continue fishing until he physically can’t take it anymore. Although he makes his own schedule, Tilley admits that he’s not entirely in control. “When the fish are there, you go fishing.”
Work Setting
This job obviously requires that you be on the water, often in the ocean, but sometimes in protected bays or harbors. Conditions on the sea vary considerably, and fishing operations do still happen during storms, although safety is a major consideration of all captains. Storms, fog, and windmay hamper fishing vessels or cause themto suspend fishing operations, but that said, a little rain never kept a crewfromgoing out.
Fishers and fishing vessel operatorswork under some of themost hazardous conditions. The crew must be on guard against the danger of injury from malfunctioning fishing gear, entanglement in fishing nets, slippery decks, or rogue waves. Fishing involves strenuous work and long hours. It’s not uncommon for some commercial fishers to be out at sea for a fewmonths at a time.Newer boats do have better accommodations, but still quarters tend to be small and sparse. Think fishing boat, not cruise ship.
Training and Certification
Fishermen and women acquire their skills on the job, and most seasoned fishers say you will know in an instant whether you’re cut out for this work. There are no formal academic training requirements, but operators of large commercial fishing vessels are required to complete a U.S. Coast Guard–approved training course. Some community colleges and universities offer fishery technology and related programs that include courses in vessel operations, marine safety, navigation, and vessel repair.
Captains andmates on fishing boats that are two hundred gross tons or more must have a Coast Guard–issued license. You simply can’t fish commercially without a permit, which also stipulates the type of fish you are allowed to catch, and any size or location restrictions that may exist.
The Numbers
In 2006, there were 38, 000 people working as fishers or fishing boat operators. About two-thirds were self-employed. Many fishermen and women are seasonal workers and tend to have other jobs throughout the year. Employment in this industry is expected to decline by 16 percent through the year 2016, which means about 6, 000 less fishers by then. Many fishers blame restrictive government regulations.Others say small independent owners can no longer compete with the larger commercial fishing companies, which have the capacity and resources to go thousands of miles from shore for months on end. But that said, there are expected to be some job opportunities available as fishermen retire.
As of May 2006, the median annual earnings of fishers were $27, 250 while the top 10 percent earned more than $45, 480. Earnings are highest in the summer (when fish ismost in demand) and lowest during the winter months. Earnings may be considerably more for those who own their own vessels or company. And remember, too, that earnings often cover only seasonal work, somany fishers have income at other times of the year as well.
FORKLIFT
AND
MACHINE OPERATOR
Operating largemachinery can be pretty exciting. If you like to touch, feel, andmove things, this could be one appealing industry for you. Material-moving workers are categorized into two groups: operators and laborers.Operators usemachinery tomove constructionmaterials, earth, petroleum products, and other heavy materials. Generally, they move materials short distances at construction sites, factories, or warehouses, for example. Some move materials on or off trucks and ships. Laborers do more physical work with less assistance from heavy machinery.
The Work
Machine operators control equipment by moving levers and wheels, while operating various switches and sometimes computerized components. They may also be responsible for setting up or inspecting equipment, as well as doing minor maintenance or repairs. Laborers move freight, stock, or other materials by hand and are often responsible for manning equipment.
Material-moving equipment operators need a good sense of balance, the ability to judge distances, and eye-hand-foot coordination. The equipment used in material-moving occupations requires a variety of skills. For example, forklift operators drive and control equipment used tomovematerials around warehouses, whereas excavatingmachines are equipped with scoops and shovels used to load andmove earth or gravel. No two jobs are the same in this industry and the equipment is always changing, so workers must be willing to adapt.