Career Videos

Video Transcript

Fishing and hunting workers catch and trap various types of animals to be used for food, animal feed, bait, and more. Although they use modern equipment, fishing and hunting workers deal with the same challenges as their early forebears; variable weather conditions, uncertain results, and the need to make snap decisions with sometimes harsh consequences. Fishing workers perform their jobs in crews to catch and gather aquatic animals. Using fish-finding equipment, a fishing boat captain decides where to fish and when to return to port. Fishing deckhands perform everyday tasks: bait and set lines or traps, haul in and sort the catch, and maintain the boat and fishing gear. Some workers rake for kelp and other marine vegetation. Hunters and trappers locate wild animals with GPS instruments or more traditional means. Trappers set up and bait traps, then monitor them to remove any catches or relocate unsuccessful traps. Hunters track and kill animals using a rifle or bow and arrows. Hunters and trappers butcher the animals they catch and stretch pelts on frames to be cured. They may also trap animal species for wildlife management or research. Fishing and hunting workers often work seasonally, with long shifts and irregular work schedules. Travel to locations may be grueling, and commercial fishers are often away for weeks or months. The work can be dangerous, and medical care is often not immediately available because workers may be out at sea or in remote areas. Pay can vary, based on a boat’s fishing catch or the value of a particular animal pelt. Most people start in these fields with recreational experience hunting or fishing, and basic knowledge of how to operate the necessary equipment. Licenses and permits to fish or hunt are required in most locations.