Kimberly Bonvechio

To Be An Observer or Not To Be An Observer

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By: Lynn Mattes

Fisheries Observer Cartoon, courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

“Adventurous Biologists Wanted” was the attention grabbing headline on a flyer I saw at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ career center part way through my last year of undergraduate.  (A long-time colleague saw this same announcement at Wichita State University in Kansas about a year later.)  This of course caught my attention, and I read further.  A company in Anchorage, AK was looking for biologists to go out on commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska to collect data.  I took down the company’s phone number so I could call and find out more information.  This was the beginning of my now 30-year career in fisheries.

Wearing an octopus as a hat, seemed the thing to do after being at sea for almost 6 weeks.

Becoming a fisheries observer is often a gateway job to other fisheries jobs, a way to get that first experience and paycheck after university.  Or it may make you realize you want nothing to do with fisheries and go into something completely different. 

We recently asked members of our Facebook group about the many pros and cons to being a fisheries observer.  Note the below information is based on U.S. Observer Programs.  There are many international observer programs that come with their own pros and cons.

Pros

  • Being a fisheries observer is a good way to get your first first-hand fisheries experience.  It is a good entry level position.
  • You acquire first hand knowledge of commercial fisheries and get to see a variety of marine species.
  • Depending on which fishery and area you are observing in, and your personal spending habits, you can save some money.  It is generally hard to spend money when you are at sea for weeks at a time.
  • You get paid to go to places others pay thousands of dollars to see, such as St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea for birding.
    • “An epic adventure”
    • “No competition for the ocean view”
  • You meet other like minded people, folks with a background in biology or fisheries that also have a sense of adventure.
    • During my initial observer training class, I felt like I finally found “my people.” For the first time in my life I felt like I was with people I fit in with.
    • I am still friends, and not just Facebook friends, or colleagues with a number of the people I went through training with or crossed paths with regularly.
    • “Being a part of a small group of people who have done your job”
  • You learn to work independently. It builds a lot of character.
  • You learn to find creative and adaptive solutions to problems when you are at sea and can’t just run to the store or the office.
A factory trawler headed out to sea from Dutch Harbor, AK.

Cons

  • Observer work can be seasonal or sporadic, so it can be hard to plan far ahead.
    • “Usually far away from home”
    • “Missing holidays with family”
  • It can feel isolating being the only observer and oftentimes the only woman on the vessel.  This can depend on the size and type of vessel, the fishery, location, and duration of the trip.
  • There are many very long physically demanding days with little sleep.  There are also some very boring days, during long steams or due to weather preventing fishing.
    • “Can be hard on both physical and mental health.”
  • There is still some negative perception amongst some fleets, some fishery participants, etc. about observers which can impact the ability to get the job done, as well as give a sense of hostility.
    • In the late 1990s, one of the fishing supply stores in Dutch Harbor, AK was selling t-shirts that said “JAFO” on the front, which stood for “Just Another F_cking Observer.” I haven’t seen anything like that in well over a decade. 
  • Commercial fishing is inherently dangerous.  Many boats fish in rough weather, the gear can be dangerous, and if anything happens, you are often many miles or even days from help.  
  • Harassment.
    • Adding to that is sometimes it seems that when a vessel or plant is reported for a hostile work environment, nothing happens or the process takes a long time.

Menstruation is another issue that was brought up.  For some, it rarely fails, their period is either starting at the start of a trip or during the middle of a trip.  Nothing like cramps on top of sea sickness, right?  Possibly having a period while out at sea requires some additional planning and packing.  Most boats aren’t going to have a box of tampons or pads in the head, assuming there is even a head on the boat.  So you have to plan ahead.  I tried to have supplies for at least 3 months every time I left my home base, never knowing for sure when, or where, I would be on land again and someplace with a store.  There can also be issues of feeling clean, depending on what you use, and what facilities the boat has.  One person replied, “even with a diva cup it was kind of miserable because nothing ever felt clean.”  

Collecting otoliths (fish ear bones) is an important task for observers, used to age fish.

For more information, there are a number of videos and blogs available online about what it is like to be a fisheries observer: