FISHING COMPANIES IN SEATTLE


Seattle From A Fishing Boat

You should visit all the listed companies’ websites. There is much useful information in them. This list was compiled with the help of the people I worked with and their experience. One of the aspects I have also looked at was how well they take care of their boats as it closely relates to safety. Some companies are members of associations where they agree to upkeep certain standards – related to safety measures and fishing regulations. Companies without a website or located outside Seattle and its surrounding areas are not listed here. I don’t warrant for any of the listed companies. I include them here based on my subjective opinion, thorough internet research and the other reasons mentioned above.


FISHING COMPANIES TO AVOID

Fishing Company Of Alaska In Dutch Harbor

Fishing companies and their personnel know of each other. For example when I visited a company with a good reputation, the personnel was willing to tell me which company had a bad reputation. For example they ruled out Fishing Company of Alaska. I have seen their ships in Dutch Harbor myself, and they didn’t look very well up kept and even its reputation among fishermen that I have met wasn’t good. Times change though, and it is possible that by now that’s a matter of the past. Do not be scared to ask the personnel of the listed companies for their opinion and advice.


HOW TO APPROACH A FISHING COMPANY?

fishing boats in Seattle - trawlers

Fishing boats in #Seattle waiting for #fishing season to begin. #fishingboat #trawler #maritime

Every fishing company has a different recruitment system. You will maximize your chances of getting a job if you visit their offices personally, at least twice (if they make this approach possible – viz. orientation events). When I visited the office of the company I ended up working for, there was already a big pile of filled out applications lying in front of me, but because I visited them more times they pulled my application out. Of course the first impression helps. They will most likely contact you over the phone. Save their addresses into your navigation system. Also, many of them have an FAQ (frequently asked questions) section, so keep an eye out for that.


WANT TO BECOME A DECKHAND?

In your application, state that you are interested in the position of a processor. Everyone starts there. I wanted to be deckhand from the very start, but to get there I first had to prove myself as a processor.

The smaller the ship, the more likely it is you will land a position on the deck.Daniel H.
I had a colleague that never worked on a fishing boat before, but he did have an A/B license which he obtained while working on a tourist boat. He got the deckhand job right away but was switched to the factory the following trip. I worked on a ship of fifty crew members; only seven of them were deckhand/combi. These were very experienced fishermen and top processors that worked their way up to the deck position. The smaller the ship, the more likely it is you will land a position on the deck.

deckhand Matt Mata on a fishing boat in the Bering Sea

#Deckhand Matt, #superman from #Samoa, #alaska, #fishing, #beringsea, #fishingboat #face #boat #north #northern #sea #sealife #maritime #deck #dangerousjob #boat

Some of the companies, US Seafoods for example, have a mother ship – used for catching and processing the fish, and smaller boats used only for catching the fish. They transfer the catch to the mother ship for processing, so the big boat is usually never out of fish.

It is similar with crabbers and smaller fishing boats owned by their captains. They sell the catch to other ships or nearby factories that are designed for processing. These companies/ small fishing ships are owned by their captain and tend to operate from Bristol Bay. They are especially interested in fishing of crabs, salmon and herring. I haven’t been to Bristol Bay myself, so for more information visit alaskajobfinder.com.


OFFER TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

If you find a job offer on the Internet, claiming that they will take care of your work permit, I recommend you not to be a fish and avoid this bait. Companies do that when they want to save money on their workers, and there is a high probability the it will be one with bad reputation. From my personal experience; I got to meet few Indonesian people working on a tramper we were offloading our catch on, they worked incredibly hard, but only got paid $1200 a month.

Ask around even about the companies that are presented on my list.Daniel H.

So inquire about the companies you are interested in… You do want to work for a good company or your experience might turn into a hell. Ask around even about the companies that are presented on my list. Nothing is for sure. Good luck!


NEXT – FISHING COMPANIES IN SEATTLE