9781422273173

9781422273173

The Basic Skills for Every Kind of Fishing Deep Sea Fishing Fishing Careers Fly Fishing Kayak Fishing Preparing and Enjoying the Fish You Catch

Elizabeth Dee

MASON CREST PH I LADE L PH I A | MI AMI

Mason Crest PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2022 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-4492-0 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4222-4495-1 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7317-3 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Jacqueline Havelka - Inform Scientific Cover and Interior Design by Torque Advertising + Design Layout by Priceless Digital Media Publisher’s Note: Websites listed in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for websites that have changed their address or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher reviews and updates the websites each time the book is reprinted.

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CONTENTS Chapter 1: The Commercial Fisher.............................. 7 Chapter 2: Working With Fish—Degree Required........ 25 Chapter 3: Fishing Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree..... 43 Chapter 4: Owning Your Own Fishing Business. ......... 59 Series Glossary of Key Terms. .................................. 74 Organizations to Contact......................................... 75 Further Reading. .................................................... 76 Internet Resources.................................................. 77 Index..................................................................... 78 Author’s Biography & Credits................................... 80

K E Y I C O N S T O L O O K F O R : Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

boatswain: pronounced "bo-sun," a supervisor of the crew members onboard a boat deckhand: someone who works on a boat, such as a crew member dredge: a tool that is dragged through the water to catch fish

Fishing Careers

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The Commercial Fisher

Adventure and Hard Work To become a commercial fisher is to embark on an exciting career. If you enjoy adventure and don’t mind hard physical work, commercial fishing may provide a good career fit for you. Commercial fishers work in all types of weather, from rainstorms with blowing wind to beautiful sunny days with calm water. A commercial fisher can work on large or small boats, with a large crew or only a deckhand or two. Living Onboard a Boat Commercial fishing companies range from big corporations to small, family-owned businesses. Working conditions onboard a big boat owned by a corporation will differ from

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Commercial fishing involves lots of hard physical labor and living on a boat for several months during the year. If that appeals to you, then you may want to consider this exciting career.

those onboard a small boat owned by a family. For one thing, there’s much more space on a larger boat. Some commercial fishers work and live on the boat, snatching a few hours of sleep in their bunks among the tasks of throwing out the giant nets and hauling them in full of silvery fish. After catching the fish, the fishers release them from the nets, which is a physically demanding job. Among catches, a commercial fisher may work as a deckhand on a smaller vessel and maintain the performance of the boat’s motors and bilge pumps.

Fishing Careers

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Commercial fishers eat all their meals on the boat. Their bunks where they sleep and store a few personal items are tiny and cramped. It can prove uncomfortable and difficult to sleep when the boat rocks back and forth violently in a storm. Catching the Fish Commercial fishing boats track and follow schools of fish by using electronic equipment, and troll with multiple nets. Some commercial fishing methods also use fish traps or “pots.”

Many commercial fishers live on boats in bunks like this one. Commercial fishing is a demanding job.

The Commercial Fisher

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Governmental agencies put strict limits on commercial fishing. In some locations, the boats are only allowed to fish during certain hours of the day. There are also limits to where these boats may drop their nets. Not following these rules can incur a heavy fine, so the captain of a boat must be vigilant. Paying an expensive fine would cut deeply into the profits. Law enforcement officers regularly patrol the fishing waters to make sure the crews of all boats obey the laws. They use helicopters and low-flying planes to observe the activities of the commercial fishers.

Commercial fishing boats use multiple nets to troll and catch fish. Governments around the world put strict limits on commercial fishing.

Fishing Careers

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Captains of large fishing vessels like this one require special Coast Guard–approved training.

Some commercial fishing jobs are seasonal, such as those that happen only during the summer. For that reason, people who are on vacation during the summer, such as college students, can work those jobs during the warm season. After working a few seasons and acquiring valuable experience, you can apply for a full-time position with a bigger operation, such as a fishery.

The Commercial Fisher

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FISHER OVERBOARD!

Commercial fishing comes with a lot of safety risks. Due partly to the long working shifts and chronic fatigue, fishers can make mistakes. Unfortunately, some of those mistakes cost commercial fishers their lives. The most dangerous accident of all is falling overboard. When a crew member falls off a boat, there’s a good chance the other deckhands won’t notice the accident. It’s only later, when the work slows down, that the crew notices that one of their members is missing. By that time, it’s usually too late to save that person unless the water is warm, and they are wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). One big problem with commercial fishers is they don’t usually wear PFD’s. The main reason is that a PFD is big and bulky and interferes with their movement while working, causing even more fatigue than usual. For that reason, some concerned companies have provided more comfortable PFDs that allow more freedom of movement for their employees. However, in all instances of fatalities involving a commercial fisher falling overboard, not one person was wearing a personal flotation device when they fell into the water. Because of that fact, many governmental agencies and other concerned groups are striving to make it a law that commercial fishers must wear a PFD for their safety and protection.

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This photo shows a helicopter rescue off Britain's south coast. The man being rescued appears to not be wearing a PFD. Fatalities occur aboard commercial fishing vessels when the crew does not wear PFDs, so many countries are trying to pass laws making PFDs mandatory gear.

The Commercial Fisher

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A boatswain supervises the crew and performs other tasks such as searching for good fishing spots and performing quality control after fish are caught. The boatswain reports directly to the captain.

Commercial fishing can involve dangerous work, such as sailing the open sea in treacherous conditions. A fisher can also get caught in the fishing net as it’s dropped into the water to catch fish. If caught in the net, the person will go overboard, and it’s up to their fellow deckhands to rescue them! They will only have a few minutes to do so if the water is freezing.

Fishing Careers

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