Fishing in Alaska is a thrilling and exciting prospect. Commercial fishing in Alaska has been known to be one of the most dangerous and hard occupations in Alaska.

The risk involved with this job is due to the harsh weather conditions at various times of the year. A few of the weather threats that Alaskan commercial fishermen face every day include high winds, seasonal darkness, icing, extremely cold water, short fishing seasons, and so forth.

These fishermen usually work very long shifts and often deal with fatigue, stress, and financial problems. In addition, there is a very real threat to their lives that they face every day.

For example, there were 948 work-related deaths in Alaska between 1990 and 2006. About one-third of these deaths were fishermen.

This work fatality rate is over 26 times that of the overall United States work fatality rate. In the early 1990s more safety requirements were put in place which did lower the Alaskan fatality rate.

Previous to these safety restrictions only 73 percent of fishermen survived when their boats capsized or sunk. However, after these safety restrictions were put in place the rate of survival rose to 96 percent.

Despite the new restrictions, the commercial fishing industry still steadily loses about twenty to forty commercial fishing boats every year. This means that about 100 fishermen are rescued from the ice cold Alaskan waters by the United States Coast Guard every year.

One of the most popular kinds of fish sought after in Alaskan waters is the Alaskan salmon. Commercial fishermen who seek salmon usually use a boat that is somewhere between 40 and 58 feet in length.

They often also use a technique called purse seining. This is where the fishermen draw the edges of a large circular net together through a drawstring method.

The way in which the net is drawn together prevents the fish from “sounding.” Sounding is when a school of fish swims down together and puts enough force on the net that it allows them to escape the net.

This technique for catching fish is very popular for any kind of fish that swims in schools such as sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and herring. Salmon are also caught this way because they gather before they swim up streams to spawn.

The purse seiner vessels generally have a crew of about three to six people. The crew lives in the cabin located on the bow. The aft of the boat is usually flat with a low railing around the edge.

The stern is where the purse seine is located and amidships is the tank that holds the fish that are caught. Generally these boats also have a small skiff that is used for towing.

If the boat plans to travel a long way through rough weather, the crew will put the seine in the fish tank. This helps the boat have a lower center of gravity.

The lower the center of gravity, the less likely the boat will capsize. When the seine is piled up correctly, it is generally about the size of a large pickup truck.

When it is spread out in the water seines are usually 1,200 feet in length and 40 feet deep. The action of putting out and drawing up the seine in the hopes of catching fish is known as a “set.”

There are several different tasks of varying crewmembers on the seine. The most important task on the seine is that of the skipper or captain.

The skipper is in charge of managing the rest of the crew, operating the equipment, finding the fish, directing the operation of the seine and other tasks, running the booms when bringing the net in, navigating the boat, finding a market to sell the fish in, selling the fish, paying Viagra Professional the crew, and so forth. Their knowledge and experience on Alaskan waters are critical to the safety and success of each fishing trip.

The second task on the seine is that of the skiffman. The skiffman is in charge of taking care of and operating the skiff.

He is responsible for making sure the skiff has enough gas, the engine is working, and so forth. The skiff is also attached to part of the net and helps place the net.

The rest of the crew are called deck hands. These crewmembers follow directions and perform many of the other tasks that the captain and skiffman cannot take care off. They are as critical to the operation of the boat as the captain and skiffman.

Author Bio: Jack R. Landry has been a backwoods fishing guide in Alaska and western Canada for 25 years. He has written hundreds of articles about Alaska fishing and Alaska fly fishing generally.

Contact Info:
Jack R. Landry
JackRLandry@gmail.com
http://alaskarainbowlodge.com

Category: Career
Keywords: Alaska Fishing