Description
Work on commercial fishing vessels to deploy and retrieve gear; handle, process, and store catch; maintain decks and equipment; and assist with navigation, safety, and vessel operations.
- • Travel to and from fishing grounds aboard the vessel in all weather conditions.
- • Communicate via radio or hand signals during deck operations.
- • Help rig dredges or trawls and repair tears or damage at sea.
- • Stand wheel, anchor, and gear watches as assigned.
- • Dispose of waste and manage fish offal in accordance with regulations.
- • Prepare the vessel for trips and layup, including painting and corrosion control.
- • Observe safe lifting and ergonomics; use PPE and fall protection.
- • Patrol and tend nets, longlines, or pots; remove catch and reset gear.
- • Deploy and retrieve fishing gear; anchor or tow gear as directed.
- • Steer the vessel on watch and operate basic navigational instruments.
- • Assist with plotting courses and keeping lookout for hazards and traffic.
- • Monitor fish-finding and sonar equipment and relay information to the wheelhouse.
- • Handle mooring lines, fenders, and anchors during docking and anchoring.
- • Attach nets, hooks, floats, weights, lights, and markers to lines and traps.
- • Operate winches, hydraulic systems, cranes, booms, and hoists safely.
- • Remove fish from gear; sort, grade, and measure catch for legal compliance.
- • Bleed, clean, and process fish as required; ice and pack catch in holds.
- • Transfer catch to tenders, processors, or buyers.
- • Release bycatch and protected species safely and record required data.
- • Maintain and repair nets, lines, pots, and other deck gear.
- • Inspect, lubricate, and perform minor repairs on on-board equipment.
- • Assist with basic engine-room checks under supervision.
- • Wash and sanitize decks, holds, conveyors, knives, and work areas.
- • Interpret weather, sea, and vessel conditions and report changes promptly.
- • Load and unload supplies, fuel, and equipment by hand or with hoisting gear.
- • Stow gear and secure cargo to meet safety and stability requirements.
- • Participate in safety drills; maintain life-saving and firefighting equipment.
- • Follow fisheries regulations and vessel policies; complete required logs.
- • Assist in training new deckhands on safe work practices and gear handling.
- • Operate small boats or skiffs for gear tending when required.
- • Maintain wheelhouse and crew spaces; assist with galley or housekeeping tasks.
- • Bait hooks and set lines or pots according to target species and method.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
