Master Fisher/Commercial
Fisher
Fishing Hand
Related Jobs or Working with these Jobs
Many Australians love fishing. More than 3.5 million Australians
fish annually for recreation and sport.
This means about one in
every five Australians enjoy fishing and half of all Australian
households own fishing tackle.
"Recreational
fishing in Australia is an important leisure activity that contributes
economic and social benefits to the Australian community, and is part of
life for Australian of all ages and from all socio-economic backgrounds. The
recreational sector is larger and more widely dispersed than any other
recreational activity that utilises a natural resource. From Mum and Dad
fishers who may fish once a year, to game fishers whose boat and fishing
equipment can be investments of thousands of dollars, recreational fishing
contributes to the health and well-being of many Australians and provides
economic and social benefits to regional areas.
The Australian Government plays an important stewardship role in
facilitating the development of the recreational fishing industry as a
sustainable, long term and valuable contributor to the Australian economy.
As most recreational fishing occurs within state and territory waters, state
and territory governments are responsible for the day-to-day management of
recreational fisheries, including the recreational components of some
Commonwealth managed commercial fisheries such as game fishing."
Fishers and fishing vessel operators catch and trap
various types of marine life for human consumption, animal feed, bait, and
other uses. 
Fishing hundreds of miles from shore with commercial fishing vessels
—large
boats capable of hauling a catch of tens of thousands of pounds of
fish—requires a crew that includes a captain, or skipper, a first mate and
sometimes a second mate, a boatswain (called a deckboss on some smaller
boats), and deckhands with specialized skills.
The fishing boat captain plans and oversees the fishing operation, the fish
to
be sought, the location of the best fishing grounds, the method of
capture, the duration of the trip, and the sale of the catch.
The captain ensures that the fishing vessel is
seaworthy; oversees the purchase of supplies, gear, and equipment, such as
fuel, netting, and cables; obtains the required fishing permits and
licenses; and hires qualified crew members and assigns their duties. The
captain plots the vessel’s course using compasses, charts, and electronic
navigational equipment, such as loran systems or GPS navigation systems.
Ships also use radar and sonar to avoid obstacles above and below the water
and to detect fish. Sophisticated tracking technology allows captains to
better locate and analyze schools of fish. The captain directs the fishing
operation through the officers’ actions and records daily activities in the
ship’s log. In port, the captain sells the catch to wholesalers, food
processors, or through a fish auction and ensures that each crew member
receives the prearranged portion of the proceeds. Captains increasingly use
the Internet to bypass processors and sell fish directly to consumers,
grocery stores, and restaurants often even before they return to port.
Master
fishers work in the commercial fishing industry managing a fishing vessel
and fishing operations to catch and preserve fish, crustacea and molluscs.
Master Fishers assist the crew in sorting, cleaning preserving, stowing and
refrigerating their catch. They may also be responsible for the maintenance
of their vessel and fishing equipment, and the management of their crew.
Master fishers usually work based from remote coastal communities located
around Australia.
ANZSCO description: 231211:
Controls a fishing vessel and fishing
operations to catch and preserve fish, crustacea and molluscs. Registration
or licensing is required.
Knowledge, skills and attributes
A master fisher needs:
- the ability to work as part of a team
- to be physically fit
- good hand-eye coordination
- to be prepared to spend long periods of time at sea
- an awareness of safety principles and procedures
- an understanding of fishing regulations and legislation.
(Source:
ABC)
Duties and Tasks
- Load and unload vessel equipment and supplies, by hand or using hoisting equipment.
- Put fishing equipment into the water and anchor or tow equipment, according to the fishing method used.
- Wash decks, conveyors, knives, and other equipment, using brushes, detergents, and water.
- Maintain engines, fishing gear, and other on-board equipment; and perform minor repairs.
- Return undesirable or illegal catches to the water.
- Pull and guide nets, traps, and lines onto vessels, by hand or using hoisting equipment.
- Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments.
- Remove catches from fishing equipment and measure them to ensure compliance with legal size.
- Connect accessories such as floats, weights, flags, lights, or markers to nets, lines, or traps.
- Signal other workers to move, hoist, and position loads.
- Interpret weather and vessel conditions to determine appropriate responses.
- Oversee the purchase of supplies, gear, and equipment such as fuel, netting, and cables.
- Transport fish to processing plants or to buyers.
- Attach nets, slings, hooks, blades, and/or lifting devices to cables, booms, hoists, and/or dredges.
- Sort, pack, and store catch in holds with salt and ice.
- Locate fish, using fish-finding equipment.
- Compute positions and plot courses on charts to navigate vessels, using instruments such as compasses, sextants, and charts.
- Direct fishing operations, and supervise fishing crew members.
- Hire qualified crew members, and assign their duties.
- Harvest marine life for human or animal consumption, using diving or dredging equipment, traps, barges, rods, reels, and/or tackle.
- Record in logbooks specifics of fishing activities such as dates, harvest areas, yields, and weather and sea conditions.
- Sell catches by contacting and negotiating with buyers or by sending catches to fish auctions.
- Estimate costs of operations and plan fishing season budgets accordingly.
- Plan fishing operations, establishing the fish to be sought, the fishing location, the method of capture, and the duration of the trip.
- Stand lookout for schools of fish, and for steering and engine-room watches.
- Operate rowboats, dinghies, and/or skiffs to transport fishers, divers, and/or sponge hookers; or to tow and position fishing equipment.
- Monitor distribution of proceeds from sales of catches to ensure that crew members receive their prearranged portions.
- Participate in wildlife management, disease control, and research activities.
- Club or gaff large fish to enable hauling them into fishing vessel.
- Share fishing expertise through activities such
as writing for fishing magazines, hosting television shows, or testing
and endorsing fishing equipment.
(Source:
Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry)
Working Conditions
Working conditions will vary depending on the type of fishing operations a master fisher is undertaking. Some fishing operations are seasonal, and a master fisher may work continuously – and live out at sea – for extended periods. Master fishers can work long shifts and odd hours, in varied and extreme weather conditions. They are required to maintain strict safety standards on board.
Tools and Technology
Fishermen on large commercial trawlers may
go out on fishing hauls for along time and may need to store their catch for long periods.
For these fishermen, storing their fish is a crucial aspect of the job. Their large
purpose built boats have cool rooms and industrial icemakers below deck for preserving and
storing their catch.
You can work as a master fisher without any formal qualifications and get
training on the job. However, entry to this occupation may be improved if
you have experience working on fishing vessels, or a formal qualification in
fishing operations.
The Certificate II and III in Fishing Operations are offered at TAFE
colleges and other registered training organisations throughout Australia.
You can also complete a traineeship. The deckhand
(fishing operations) and senior deckhand – fishing operations usually
take between 12 to 24 months to complete. The deckhand (fishing operations)
traineeship is available as a school-based traineeship.
To work on a domestic commercial vessel in Australia you will need to obtain
a Certificate of Competency from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
(AMSA).
To work in the commercial fishing industry in Australia you will need to
obtain a commercial fishing licence.
|
Did You Know? The Brewarrina Fish Traps are a complex arrangement of stone walls situated in the Barwon River which feeds into the Darling River in New South Wales.  Nearly half a kilometre in length, these fish traps are the largest known in Australia and were an ingenious invention long used by Aboriginal people to catch fish. The age of these fish traps is unknown and they may be one of the oldest human constructions in the world.  Public domain. Robert Hamilton Mathews, an early Australian surveyor and anthropologist, drew this map of the Brewarrina fish traps in 1907. They have been listed on the State Heritage Register and the National Heritage List. Aboriginal legend explains that they are an ancient Dreamtime site built by Baiame and his two sons Booma-ooma-nowi and Ghinda-inda-mui. (Source: Department of Environment, NSW) *********************** Gunditjmara community of southwest Victoria and the Budj Bim These large-scale fishing facilities and associated aquaculture ponds rupture traditional representations of Aboriginal people as simply hunter gatherers. The Budj Bim cultural landscape provides an outstanding example on a world stage of the scale, complexity, and antiquity of a well preserved Aboriginal fishery that continues into the present. And it is an exceptional example of Aboriginal environmental manipulation and management that blurs the distinction between foragers and farmers. Over the next year or so, a formal World Heritage nomination will be prepared by the Victorian government spearheaded by the Gunditjmara for submission to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.  The Conversation 8 February 2017 |
Fishing Hands are responsible for
working and maintaining nets, lines, pots and other fishing equipment on
deep sea and inshore fishing vessels. When nets and lines are hauled back on
board, fishing hands sort and clean the catch and may also assist in
processing and preserving
operations.
On most vessels all crew members will have to help with general cleaning and vessel maintenance duties. Fishing hands may also operate machinery, such as winches to haul in nets, and electronic equipment, including radio transmitters and fish finding equipment.
ANZSCO description:
899212:
Catches fish, crustacea and molluscs using nets, pots, lines and traps in
ocean and inland waters.
Alternative names: Fisher, Fisher Person, Fisherman, Fishing Boat
Mate, Fishing Deckhand
Specialisations: Cray Fishing Hand, Master Fisher, Prawn Trawler
Hand, Purse Seining Hand
Knowledge, skills and attributes
A fishing hand needs:
-
to be able to work as part of a team
-
a high level of physical fitness
-
manual and practical skills
-
to be prepared to spend long periods at sea
-
an awareness of safety principles and procedures
-
to enjoy working outdoors.
(Source:
ABC)
Duties and Tasks
-
handling ropes and wires, and operating mooring equipment when berthing and unberthing
-
standing lookout watches at sea and adjusting the ship's course as directed
-
assisting with cargo operations using on-board equipment and stowing and securing cargo
-
patrolling ships to ensure safety of the vessel, cargo and passengers
-
performing routine maintenance and checks on deck equipment, cargo gear, rigging, and lifesaving and firefighting appliances
-
attaching gear and fastening towing cables to nets
-
casting and lowering nets, pots, lines and traps into water
-
preparing lines, attaching running gear and bait, and setting lines into position
-
hauling in fishing gear and removing fish and other marine life
-
sorting, cleaning, preserving, stowing and refrigerating catch
Working conditions
Fishing hands working on deep sea vessels can spend weeks or months
at sea, while those working inshore generally work for shorter periods. They
work in a range of weather conditions, which can include rough seas and
stormy weather. The work can be dangerous, and fishing hands must follow
strict safety guidelines to protect both themselves and their crewmates.
While at sea they work shifts, which can be long and include nights and
weekends. They generally work everyday while at sea and have long breaks
when they return to shore, which can last weeks or occasionally months.
Fishing hands may work in coastal locations throughout Australia.
Tools and technologies
Fishing hands use a range of fishing equipment, depending on what they are
trying to catch. This includes nets, long lines (with up to 10,000 hooks
each), pots and dredges. They also use winches to cast (or shoot) and haul
in nets. On some vessels they will also use knives to clean and gut a catch.
They use large freezers to store their catch. Safety gear such as life
jackets, harnesses and hardhats are also important. Ropes, spikes, hammer
and needles are also used to mend nets and carry out other maintenance
duties.
Education and training/entrance requirements
You can work as a fishing hand without any formal qualifications and get
training on the job. However, entry into this occupation may be improved by
obtaining a qualification in fishing operations.
The Certificate II in Fishing Operations is offered at TAFE Colleges and
other registered training organisations throughout Australia.
You can complete a traineeship. The deckhand (fishing operations), fisher
hand, and senior deckhand – fishing operations traineeships usually take 12
to 24 months to complete. The deckhand (fishing operations) and fisher hand
traineeships are available as a school-based traineeship.
Aquaculture Farmer |
Coxswain |
Fisheries
Officer |
Outdoor Adventure Guide Fishing Guide |
Sailmaker |
Ship's
Master  Deck Hand |
Shipwright |
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources;
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