Fishing jobs in Alaska, is it true?

Question

Hi,

I am Jorge and was recently granted my US permanent residency and now am looking for opportunities to visit other states in the US and make ma living. Now then, I recently overheard other people talking about the good money people working in the fishing industry can make and in a short time. It is the first time I hear this and would like some other peple to shed some light in some doubts I have. First, is it easy to get a fishing job even if you do not have experience at all? Also, is it a dangerous or extremelly tiring job that is so well-paid? Or is it just the cold weather that keeps everybody going to work to Alaska? Well, I might have many more questions that I would like answered before considering going there and find a job but those qs above are sufficient for now. I would rerally appreciate if anyone can answer or share his or her experiences. Thanks and have a good one.

Answer 1

The fishing season is short but is extremely dangerous with very long hours.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/traumafish.html

Answer 2

Hi Jorge,

What you heard is kind of correct.

Commercial fishing in Alaska can be a very well paying job. The hours are terribly long (20 hours a day, maybe longer). The weather is cool and wet at best, freezing cold, slippery, and wet at worst.

The job is very taxing, mentally and physically. The long hours, day after day is very draining. Being out in the middle of no where, potentially hundreds of miles from land, being tossed around in huge seas on what seems like a tiny boat can be VERY tough mentally. It can be a scary job.

I'll anser your questions the best I can:

1. is it easy to get a fishing job even if you do not have experience at all?: It is getting a lot harder to find a fishing job since the Discovery Channel began its show the Deadliest Catch. Since then, people have been lured by the promise of big money. The State of Alaska has a "seafood employment" page that can be found at http://labor.state.ak.us/esd_alaska_jobs/home.htm

There is a section on fishing jobs you should read. There are also job annoucements on this web page. Most likely, you will need to find your own way to Alaska (the boat won't pay for it). Another tactic you can try is get a job at a Seafood processing plant (pretty easy to do) and ask captains for work as they come in to unload.

There is a listing of some regional seafood job contacts. Do an internet search and get their phone numbers at the alaska job centers. Call them up and see what they can do for you.

2. is it a dangerous or extremelly tiring job that is so well-paid?: Both. If you get into trouble out in the ocean, there is no 9-1-1 on the ocean. If you fall overboard in 38 degree water, you're pretty f*cked!

3. is it just the cold weather that keeps everybody going to work to Alaska?: Not many people think of this. What a lot of people don't realize though is when you are on the open water, once you get chilly, it is very hard to warm back up again. Fishing can be EXTREMELY cold and miserable, even if the weather is nice on land.

Some fishing seasons are more profitable than others. Crab seasons make the most money for fishermen. Expect to have to work Cod and some other not so well paying seasons to get on the crab crews.

The other thing I tell people is to make sure you have a way back home if you have a place to go back to. Alaska is a very expensive place to live and there is a lack of good paying work. Chances are, you won't make it there. Save some money to make sure you can get back to your family or have a family member willing to bail you out if need be.

The money in fishing is excellent. My family ran commercial boats for a lot of years. The work is extrememly hard. I chose to be an Engineer rather than work in that environment. I could hack it, but it is a rough and can be a lonely life.

Answer 3

You should check out Deadliest Catch on cable. It is a documentary with several episodes. The show is about crab fishing in Alaska. Very dangerous, very tough, very lucrative.

Answer 4

Yes there is, its a very dangerous job so not many people want to do it.Your talking commercial fishing right?

Answer 5

JUST GIVE IT TO HUSKY HE IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY