Saturday, June 16, 2012

Alaska Fishing Jobs: Deckhands Needed

By Velma Troy-Hansen


A large number of people from all over North America journey north in search of Alaska Commercial Crab Fishing Jobs every year. The lucrative fishing industry in Alaska drives them to find better opportunities for themselves and their families. Many of these Alaska Fishing Jobs are very dangerous, but the risk is well worth the reward. The Bering Sea is a very perilous place for even the experienced fisherman, but the allure of a huge pay day just keeps them coming back and clueless greenhorns flooding in each season.

Although most of these Alaska commercial crab fishing jobs come with a lot of uncertainty of endangerment, the catch they are after also provide people with jobs that are not so deadly. Being employed in the fishing industry outside of fishing boats can also provide a substantial career for those who prefer not to be on the deck of a ship. After being unloaded, the fish have to be processed and shipped to markets around the world, and there is a great demand for these types of jobs on a constant basis. The stability of these jobs are what some are after, but the incentives are not as great as being employed in the Alaska commercial crab fishing occupations; the higher the risk the higher the reward.

The jobs in Alaska pay a great deal more than working off-site of fishing vessels that navigate the Bering Sea because of the perils that these workers are presented with on a daily basis. The main contributing factor to the danger of these crab fishing jobs are due to the variability and potency of the Bering Sea and her unforgiving climate. One of the greatest risks for the deckhands is falling overboard because of the quickness with which one can lose their life to hypothermia or drowning after hitting the frigid seawater. Working on an instable deck with gale-force winds and blinding salt spray only adds to the perils that come with working under exhaustion and lack of sleep.

Working technician jobs or as a cook aboard fishing fleets are also part of the game. These people do work on deck part of the time in most circumstances, but their special training provides them with opportunities for even greater income. Their unique skills are in higher demand than that of a regular deckhand, and they are less exposed to the dangers of being on deck 100% of the time. Being the captain of a ship is also another career that is part of the commercial fishing occupations and also earns quite a bit more than average. They sit in the wheelhouse the majority of the time and are sheltered from the harsh elements that present themselves on the Bering Sea.

Since a season in the Alaskan fishing industry is usually just a few months annually, tens-of-thousands of dollars are earned in that short period of time. It is not uncommon for many, even those who just started, to earn more than a hundred thousand or more in just those few months. This is because of the extremes that one must endure when working aboard one of these fishing vessels and the deadly consequences that are very plausible each day. Although when the whole crew catches nothing, the whole crew earns nothing. The first of the earned catch goes to the expenses of maintaining the ship, but after the break-even point, the rest is pure profit for the entire crew, and each deckhand gets a quarter, half or full share.




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