Also called: Commercial Whitefish Fisher, Gillnet Tug Operator
Runs a boxy, enclosed fishing boat on the Great Lakes, catching whitefish and lake trout with nets.
Great Lakes fish tugs look like floating sheds so crews can work in freezing spray. The captain leaves before dawn, finds the net lines by GPS, and the crew lifts nets through a side door, picking out whitefish. Back at the dock the catch goes to a fish house or straight to a family smokehouse.
Income depends on catch quotas and fish prices.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. Learned on family boats; a USCG license for passengers is not required for fishing.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Shrinking. Few licenses remain; many are held by tribal and family fisheries.
Low risk for 10 years. GPS and sonar help find fish, but lifting nets in icy Great Lakes weather is human work.
Classes: Small engines, Biology, Business.
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