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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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84121.00 – Fishing vessel deckhands

Fishing vessel deckhands perform a variety of manual tasks on commercial fishing voyages, and maintain fishing vessels.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Fishing vessel crewman/woman
  • Fishing vessel deckhand
  • Fishing vessel icer
  • Fishing vessel netmender
  • Seiner deckhand
  • Trawlerman/woman

Core competencies

  • Preventative Maintenance to identify and address potential issues before they become serious problems, reducing the risk of equipment failures and accidents on deck
  • Quality Control Testing to verify caught fish are sorted appropriately, ensuring protected species or bycatches are returned to the water
  • Multi-Limb Coordination to direct and attach mooring lines during docking in coordination with other deckhands
  • Rate Control and Reaction Time to react to changes in weather conditions, emergency situations or fish movements to adjust winches and nets safely and effectively
  • Attention to Detail to identify when nets or fishing gear require repair and ensure repairs are sturdy
  • Knowledge in Livestock, Farm Animals & Wildlife to understand how to identify various species of marine life in order to return protected species to the water and keep intended species for processing

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Prepare nets, lines and other fishing tackle, and operate fishing gear to catch fish and other marine life
  • Sort, return protected species to the water, clean and pack fish in ice and stow catch in hold
  • Repair nets, splice ropes and maintain fishing gear and other deck equipment
  • Clean deck surfaces and fish hold
  • Handle anchors and mooring lines during docking and undocking procedures
  • May steer vessels to and from fishing areas
  • May prepare and cook meals for crew members.

Additional information

  • Fishing vessel deckhands may become skippers upon acquiring an entry licence and a boat.
  • Fishing vessel deckhands may progress to watchkeeper or mate positions with additional training.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Deck officers, water transport (72602)
  • Fishermen/women (83121)
  • Fishing masters and officers (83120)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

8 – Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations

TEER

4 – Occupations usually require a secondary school diploma; or several weeks of on-the-job training

Major group

84 – Workers in natural resources, agriculture and related production

Sub-major group

841 – Workers in natural resources and fisheries

Minor group

8412 – Workers in agriculture and fishing occupations

Unit group

84121 – Fishing vessel deckhands

Occupational profile

84121.00 – Fishing vessel deckhands

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.