Alaka Fishing Jobs

[Ordinaryseaman]

I found this-

good info on Alaska fishing jobs/processing jobs- lots of good links.

Not fun work, not easy work, and not the highest paying- but there are several thousand seasonal openings here- which can often turn into permanent work.

Look around the site for a lot more info.

Anthony

http://labor.alaska.gov/esd_alaska_jobs/sflinks.htm

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State of Alaska > DOLWD > Employment Security > Seafood
Seafood Company Links

• Alaska General Seafoods
• Alaskan Leader Fisheries
• Aleutian Pribilof Island Economic Development Association (APICDA)
• American Seafoods
• At-Sea Processors Association
• Coastal Villages Region Fund
• Copper River Seafoods
• Deep Sea Fisheries
• E.C. Phillips & Son Inc.
• Harbor Crown Seafood, Inc.
• Icicle Seafoods
• Leader Creek Fisheries
• Norquest Seafoods
• North Pacific Seafoods
• Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Inc.
• Pacific Seafood
• Pacific Star Seafoods
• Peter Pan Seafoods Inc.
• Saltwater, Inc.
• Seafood Producers Co-op
• Snopac Products
• Trident Seafoods
• Unisea, Inc.
• United States Seafoods
• Westward Seafoods, Inc.

Seafood Related Links

• Alaska Peninsula Coastal Fisherman's Association
• Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI)
• Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC)
• Alaska Processors (Office of Fisheries Development DCED)
• Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
• Fishery Industrial Technology Center
• Fisheries Information and Services FIS
• FISH ALASKA!
• Fishmonger.com
• International Pacific Halibut Commission
• Map of Shore-Based Seafood Processors in Alaska
• Marine Advisory Program UAF
• National Marine Fisheries Service - Alaska Region
• North Pacific Fisheries Management Council
• North Pacific Fisheries Observer Training Center
• Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA)
• Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force
• Sea Grant Alaska
• Sheldon Jackson College
• United Fishermen of Alaska

[bob]

One warning........ be very careful chosing your boat.

Many of the boats that work the Bering are 30 year old OSVs converted for fish processing. Most notorious are the H&G boats (head and gut). They will pick up an old supply boat for pennies, toss in some old freezer units, and shovel in a crew of 50 mexicans to work the slime line. Regardless of the lip-service the company gives safety its all about thin profit margins and operating on a shoe string.

One such vessel former mud boat went down last year way the F out the chain because of flooding in the rudder room. The NTSB/USCG findings report is somplace on gCaptain.

There are some very good boats/companines. Ive worked on the Golden Alaska, Northern Jeager/Hawk/Eagle, and the SS Ocean Phonix; which is in a class all her own (a good thing). All were top flight operations back in the day who were seriously committed to safety.

Do your home work and be prepared to walk. There are some real bottom feeder operators up there. Also, get your own personal Immersion Suit AND "Mustang" suit (Class 5 PFD work overall). Each cost about $250-$300.

Good luck..... Bob

[dougpine]

One such vessel former mud boat went down last year way the F out the chain because of flooding in the rudder room. The NTSB/USCG findings report is somplace on gCaptain.

That would be the "Alaska Ranger", and the NTSB report is here.

Funny, but the "Alaska Ranger" had a Japanese fishing "master" on board who wouldn't let the American Captain run the boat. The Captain thus did not know that when he lost his electric power the boat would begin backing up because the controllable pitch system's hydraulic pump that was once powered by the main engine had been converted to an electric pump. So when they blacked out, the blades swung to their full negative pitch, and the boat backed away from her liferafts.

Had the Captain actually been able to be in command as a true Captain, he would have know to shut down the main engine. But the fishing "master" was running things. Unfortunately, they both perished. The fishing "master"'s body was never found. I suppose this was also an issue of "cultural sensitivity"? This incident alone should be enough to provoke Congress into eliminating the regulatory exemptions that allow these tragedies to occur. I just thank my lucky stars that I didn't have a similar emergency on the "Majestic Blue".<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

[bob]

Hi Dougpine:

Cultural Sensitivity... I intended that term with thin sarcasim. How about, "working knowledge of the informal organizational structure."

Back in the day the only american factory trawler in the bering was the F/V Arctic Trawler and every one else were foriegn. Then it went all joint venture with americans catching and delivering to foriegn processor partners. Eventually, the foreign JV processors were kicked out. The problem as I see it was the Japanese and Koreans became $ignificant partners in American fishing companies. In fact a couple companies were simply foriegn companies with american facades. The japanese companies then said, you want our money you got to hire our people.

So the american bottoms would fish but the bridge would have a japanese fishing master and a paper captain. The factory production workers were mostly americans BUT the surimi/Toyo machine tecks and QC guys were all japanese. Im hoping somthing has changed up there in 20 years but sounds like in your experience its the same game only in a diffrent place.

Too bad the US doesnt fight as fiercly as japan and korea to keep skilled mariners working. But I guess most here cringe at the concept of job security.

Keep up your good work Dougpine. The industry needs activists like yourself.
Bob