Fishermen / women
Career Overview
Fishing vessel skippers and fishermen/women:
- Operate fishing vessels to catch fish and other marine life
- Are usually self-employed owner-operators of fishing vessels
Job Titles
Duties
Fishing vessel skippers and fishermen/women perform some or all of the following duties:
- Operate fishing vessel to find and catch fish and other marine life
- Select area for fishing, plot courses and compute navigational positions using compass, charts and other aids
- Steer vessel and operate navigational instruments
- Operate fishing gear, direct fishing operation and supervise fishing crew members
- Maintain engine, fishing gear and other on-board equipment
- Record fishing activities, weather and sea conditions
- Estimate costs of operations and plan budget for each fishing season
- Set up fish marketing plan and keep records of all financial transactions
- May transport fish to processing plants or fish buyers
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
440% Employed Full Time
16%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in a normal controlled environment
- Work takes place outdoors on the water in a fishing boat in various weather conditions.
- Working with machinery and equipment can be a source of injury
- Working on a boat in a marine environment can be dangerous
- The work environment may be noisy enough to affect hearing
- The workplace may contain strong odours
Career Pathways
Progression to master or mate on fishing vessels over 100 gross tonnes is possible with additional training, licensing and experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Several years of experience as fishing vessel crew member or helper are usually required
- A commercial fishing licence is required
- Licences are required for each species of fish pursued
- Trade certification for fish harvesters is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador
Education programs in B.C.
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
440Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 2.3% |
| Kootenay | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 150 | 34.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 75 | 17.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 10 | 2.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 205 | 46.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
170Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 120 | 4.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | -1.3% |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | Not available | Not available |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 40 | 0.0% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Agriculture and Fishing | 160 |
| Wholesale Trade | 10 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.