The Job Requirements of a Lobster Fisherman

Lobster fishermen are responsible for catching lobsters and getting them to the restaurants that serve them.

Lobster isn't just a seafood delicacy available at restaurants. It's a way of making a livelihood for thousands of lobster fishermen in the United States. Being a lobster fisherman is a tough job that requires an intimate knowledge of boating, best fishing practices and profitable business methods.

Identification

Lobster fishing is the act of catching lobsters for commercial gain. Each day during the fishing season, lobster boats sail to fishing areas and lay traps to catch lobsters. These traps are then hauled into a boat and returned to the water, if necessary. Lobster fishing can be an uncertain business. The amount of money made by fishermen depends entirely on the size of the catch. The lobster fishing season in Maine, the country's top lobster producer, typically runs from May until December, though it may be extended for those with boats that can fish in deeper waters.

Strength and Stamina

One of the main requirements of a lobster fisherman is a strong back and significant endurance. Most boats trawl the waters before the sun comes up and put in full days. The job primarily consists of hauling lobster traps into the boat and returning them to the water. These traps can weigh 40 pounds apiece and hundreds of them are hauled in each day.

Boat and Business Skills

Lobster fishing boats typically employ only two or three crew members. The crew members hauling the traps in from the water don't need to know how to sail a boat, but they do need to be familiar with how a boat's machinery operates. The captain must know how to sail the boat and keep it running. All members of a lobster fishing team should have basic business acumen. At the end of the day and the end of the season, accurate tallies of the catch must be kept and expenses recorded to determine how much money the team made.

Lobster Fishing Knowledge

While much of the work of lobster fishing consists of heavy lifting, the planning and practice of the job requires knowledge of how to find lobsters and how to properly set and maintain traps. Lobster fishermen should be intimately familiar with the regulations associated with catching lobster; each lobster caught must be inspected before it's kept to ensure it meets commercial fishing guidelines. A failure to follow regulations can put a lobster fisherman out of business.

References

• Calendar Islands Maine Lobster: Lobster Fishing
• Lobster Institute: Job Descriptions