A broad-based coalition is offering training for prospective commercial fishing crew in Alaska. Courses have already been taught in Sitka and Petersburg, but the next session with be held in Kodiak, June 2-4. Organizers tag the AK On Board Crew Training Program as an attempt to provide a connection between a greying fleet and the new blood needed for the future.
Theresa Peterson is the Fisheries Policy Director for the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, a coalition of harvesters and scientists who advocate for healthy marine ecosystems and coastal communities. She is also a member of the AK On Board training's steering committee.
“The crew member training is a collaborative effort between Alaska Marine Conservation Council, the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association, Alaska Sea Grant, University of Alaska, and AMSEA. The funding for this was provided through the Young Fisherman's Development Act, and so we're excited to have this opportunity to host this crew training in Kodiak," Peterson said.
The Young Fishermen's Development Act, which passed Congress in 2021, established a grant program “to provide training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fishermen.”
It is funded through 2026, but Rep. Nick Begich III has expressed support for reauthorizing it.
Peterson said the crew training is designed to help bridge the considerable knowledge gap for entry level fishermen.
“And the course is structured to go over the basics such as introduction to fisheries and gear and the seasons, advice for being a professional crew member, meal planning and like this, the importance of handling the fish as food and the overall need to continually maintain seafood quality," she said.
The course is broken into three days of both instruction and networking opportunities. The first day will feature five rotating skill stations where experienced fishermen will give hands-on instruction on a variety of fundamental proficiencies.
“We're going to try to make it fun too. Like, the five stations that we'll go through are really hands on, like, we'll show you how to mend a net. We'll show you how to tie the knots. Pretty straightforward," Peterson explained.
The second day will focus on safety at sea, with an adapted version of the vessel safety drill instructor course taught by the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, or AMSEA.
“As a component of this three-day training, we will be also teaching the 10-hour drill conductor class, so that's embedded in this training, and that's the AMSEA drill conductor safety class. So any of the participants of this program will walk away with their drill conductor card as well," Julie Matweyou, an instructor for the safety course, said.
Day Three will feature a tour of the boat harbor, where attendees can talk to experienced fishermen. The final day of training also includes a kind of speed dating opportunity, in which skippers can meet prospective crew members.
“And then we're also going to visit different types of vessels in the harbor, and talk about like a day in the life of a commercial fisherman. And you need to know how to not only prosecute the fisheries a good boatman, but also how to get along with others in really small, cramped quarters.," Peterson said.
The average age of a fisherman in Alaska has increased to fifty, which is ten years older than it was one generation ago, according to “Turning the Tide,” a report from a UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences research team.
In that same time, rural communities have lost thirty percent of their local limited entry permits, contributing to a trend away from the family based fishing businesses that once added young fishermen to the industry.
Matweyou said the AK On Board Program aims to provide not just crew training but also an opportunity for networking between experienced and new, entry-level fishermen.
The AK On Board Crew Training Program will be held in Kodiak beginning June 2. To sign up, visit the Sea Grant Alaska website, or call Julie Matweyou at 907-486-1514.
The final AK On Board training session for the year will be held in Nome this fall.
