Fishing is a world of its own at sea. The vessels are different, the rules are different — STCW, the convention that governs merchant ships, does not apply to fishing vessels — and the pay is often different too: on many boats the crew earns a share of the catch. It can be one of the best-paid jobs a beginner can get at sea, and also one of the hardest and most dangerous. This guide covers the jobs, the documents, how pay works, life on board, and the checks that protect you from the bad employers in this industry.
Types of fishing vessels
- Trawlers — towing nets along the bottom or in mid-water; from small coastal boats to large ocean trawlers.
- Factory trawlers and processing vessels — catching and processing fish on board: filleting, freezing, packing. Large crews, long trips, work in shifts.
- Longliners — long lines with thousands of hooks; a lot of manual work with the gear.
- Purse seiners — encircling shoals of pelagic fish such as tuna or herring.
- Pot and crab vessels — heavy pots on deck in cold, rough water; famously hard work.
The jobs
- Deckhand / fisherman — handling the nets, lines or pots, sorting and gutting the catch, maintenance of the gear.
- Factory or processing worker — on processing vessels: cutting, filleting, freezing and packing in shifts.
- Cook — one per crew, cooking for people doing heavy physical work.
- Engineer and motorman — the vessel's engine room, refrigeration plant and hydraulics.
- Skipper and mates — navigation, fishing operations and the crew; they need fishing certificates.
The rules: STCW-F and the Work in Fishing Convention
- STCW does not apply to fishing vessels. Fishing has its own convention, STCW-F (1995, in force since 2012). It covers seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres and more: basic safety training for all personnel, and certificates for skippers, officers and engineers.
- The ILO Work in Fishing Convention (C188), in force since 2017, sets the working conditions for fishers in the countries that ratified it: a minimum age of 16, a medical certificate, a written work agreement, rest hours (on vessels staying at sea more than three days, at least 10 hours in any 24 and 77 in any seven days), repatriation, and no recruitment fees charged to fishers.
Which rules apply to your vessel depends on its flag and size — ask the employer, and read the agreement.
Documents
- Passport and visas for the country of the vessel.
- Medical certificate for fishers or seafarers, as the flag requires.
- Basic safety training — fishing basic safety training under STCW-F, or STCW Basic Training, depending on the flag.
- A seaman's or fisher's book where your country issues one.
- For skippers, mates and engineers — STCW-F certificates of the flag state.
How pay works
There are two models, and sometimes a mix:
- A fixed wage, paid monthly, as on merchant ships.
- A share of the catch — after costs, the crew divides an agreed share of the catch's value. A good season can pay very well; a bad one can pay little. Ask exactly how the share is calculated, which costs come off first, and whether there is a guaranteed minimum.
Get the pay terms in writing, in a language you understand, before you travel.
Life on board
- Long hours when the fish are there. Fishing follows the catch, not the clock; processing vessels often work in shifts, for example six hours on and six off.
- Cold, wet and heavy. Gear, weather and motion make fishing one of the most dangerous occupations at sea. Safety gear, training and a careful crew matter more than anywhere.
- Trips range from days on coastal boats to months on factory vessels.
Protect yourself: the checks before you go
Fishing has excellent employers — and, in some fleets, some of the worst abuses at sea. Before you travel:
- Get the written work agreement — pay, share calculation, hours, trip length, repatriation.
- Never pay a recruitment fee. C188 and MLC both say fishers and seafarers must not be charged for recruitment.
- Keep your own passport. Nobody has a right to hold it for you.
- Never accept a debt to the agency for travel, visas or "placement" that you repay from wages.
- Check the vessel and the company — its name, flag and owner — and talk to people who have worked there.
Interview questions
- "Have you done physical work in cold or bad weather?"
- "Do you get seasick?" Be honest.
- "Have you worked with knives, fish or food processing?"
- "Are you ready for long shifts and long trips?"
- "Do you have basic safety training?"
FAQ
Can I work on a fishing vessel without experience?
Yes — as a deckhand or processing worker, with basic safety training and a medical, though experience with physical work helps.
Is STCW Basic Training enough?
Often it is accepted, but fishing vessels follow STCW-F and the flag's rules; check what the flag requires.
Is working "for a share" good or bad?
It depends on the vessel, the season and the terms. Understand the calculation and ask about a guaranteed minimum.
What is the minimum age?
Under C188, 16 — and 18 for hazardous work — in the countries that ratified it.
Jobs
Look at the fishing vacancies on our jobs board.
Your CV
The maritime CV puts your safety training, physical work experience and languages on one page.
Rules depend on the vessel's flag and size. Check the work agreement and the flag's requirements before you travel.