"We live in the most beautiful part of the west coast, and at the end of the day, if we work together, we can achieve a lot. We can all be champions."
Do you wonder if a job on the water is for you?
If most of these statements apply then you could enjoy harvesting your Nation’s seafood
- I like to spend time outdoors doing things like camping and fishing.
- I enjoy stories told by my Elders about when seafood was plentiful.
- I like to work in and around the water, and I don’t mind being on boats for long periods of time.
- I like the freedom of working for myself and working very hard for part of the year.
Uu-a-thluk
taking care of
What’s It All About?
Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers include aquaculture support workers, marine plant gatherers, shellfish diggers and other workers in aquaculture and fishing.
People who work harvesting seafood usually travel in boats, set nets or hook and line gear, haul in catches, clean their fish, and bring their catch to buyers.
They typically work in public or private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms. They may also be self employed.
They may work as part of a team for long hours away from home and may work only part of the year (i.e., seasonal). For those who own their own boats, gear maintenance, marine navigation, and business skills like marketing your catch are a must.
Other jobs in fishing and harvesting include diving for species like tut?up (sea urchins), geoducks and sea cucumbers or gathering species like gooseneck barnacles or clams.
Clam diggers need to be in good physical shape and have some experience digging clams.
You must have a tidal waters sport fishing license to harvest shellfish in salt water, including tidal water boundary areas in rivers. Know the location of area closures and find out what fishing activities are permitted – in many areas of British Columbia, fishing is not allowed or is restricted.
What Do You Need?
Divers
Need to have a Commercial Dive Certificate and may apprentice for two years before starting their own business.
Deckhands
Need to have safety awareness and boat training and may learn technical skills on the job.
Commercial Fishermen/Women
Run their own boats and need to have a commercial fishing licence, technical skills to navigate safely on the ocean, and business skills to successfully harvest and sell their fish.
Shellfish harvesters require commercial fishing licences.
Marine Emergency Duties certificates may be required for some occupations in this unit group.
Regulations require Canadian ships to be manned by holders of Canadian Certificates of Competency, which in turn can only be issued to Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents (PR) in Canada.
Several years of experience as fishing vessel crew member or helper are usually required. Licences are required for each species of fish pursued and access to licences is typically through leasing from an existing licence holder, purchased on the open market or transferred from one person to another without any monetary exchange.
For most of these jobs some secondary education is usually required.
How Much Do They Earn?
The annual median salary for the category of aquaculture and marine harvest labourers is $38,709. Please note that these jobs are often seasonal.
Divers usually earn between $38,584 and $92,517 calculated annually ($18.50 and $44.36 an hour).
Deck hands earn $40,585 and $63,026 calculated annually (Between $19.46 and $30.22 per hour)
Water transport deck and engine room crew typically earn between $40,252 and $75, 082 calculated annually ($19.30/hour and $36.00/hour).
Clam diggers work seasonally and earn between $31,701.12 and $62,568 calculated per year ($15.20 and $30 an hour).
Commercial fishermen/women owner operator salaries fluctuate based on a number of factors related to commercial licences and seniority. Licences are required for each species of fish. This job is seasonal and salaries are variable depending on the fishery and the number of fisheries participated in.
Sample Employers
- Self Employed
- Commercial fishing boats
- First Nations
Sample Jobs
- Clam digger
- Shellfish harvester
- SCUBA diver
- Fisherman/Fisherwoman
- Fish farmer/Sea farmer
- Seaweed gatherer
- Oyster harvester/picker/shucker
Muschim
the people
Joshua Gillette
Listen to Josh Gillette, Kyuquot, BC, talking about how he achieved his dream of owning a boat and being a fisherman like his father and grandfather.
Aquaculture and Marine Harvest Labourers. WorkBC. (2021, April 16) Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.workbc.ca/Jobs-Careers/Explore-Careers/Browse-Career-Profile/8613#earnings-and-outlook
Clam Digger in British Columbia. (2022, April 8). Government of Canada Job Bank. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/22005/BC
Divers in British Columbia. (2022, April 8). Government of Canada Job Bank. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/26720/BC
Deckhand in British Columbia. (2022, April 8). Government of Canada Job Bank. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/21732/BC
Engine Room Crew Member – Ship in British Columbia. (2022, April 8). Government of Canada Job Bank. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/26731/BC
Fisherman/woman in British Columbia (2022, April 8). Government of Canada Job Bank. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/20160/BC
Fishermen/women (2021, March 25). WorkBC. Retrieved May 9, 2022 from
https://www.workbc.ca/Jobs-Careers/Explore-Careers/Browse-Career-Profile/8262#earnings-and-outlook
