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Fishing Vessel Skippers and Fishermen/women  (NOC 8262)
Gaspésie -- Îles-de-la-Madeleine Region
Description |  Titles |  Duties |   Related Occupations

Fishing vessel skippers and fishermen/women operate fishing vessels to pursue and land fish and other marine life. They are usually self-employed owner-operators of fishing vessels.

fisherman/woman, fishing vessel skipper, inshore fisherman/woman, lobster fisherman/woman, longliner fisherman/woman, seiner fisherman/woman.

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Fishing vessel skippers and fishermen/women perform some or all of the following duties:
  • Operate fishing vessel to pursue and catch fish and other marine life
  • Select area for fishing, plot courses and compute navigational positions using compass, charts and other aids
  • Steer vessel and operate navigational instruments
  • Operate fishing gear, direct fishing operation and supervise fishing crew members
  • Maintain engine, fishing gear and other on-board equipment
  • Record fishing activities, weather and sea conditions
  • Estimate costs of operations and plan budget for each fishing season
  • Establish fish marketing plan and keep records of all financial transactions
  • May transport fish to processing plants or fish buyers.
Included Cities in Region | Service Canada Offices

Bonaventure, Cap-Chat, Chandler, Gaspé, Grande-Rivière, Murdochville, New Richmond, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts

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View a list of Service Canada offices in this area.

Outlook & Prospects for Fishing Vessel Skippers and Fishermen/women in Gaspésie -- Îles-de-la-Madeleine Region

The future forecast and current conditions for an occupation can vary based on location or due to changes in the economy, technology, or demand for a product or service.

Local Employment Potential Information

Table on the employment potential for Fishing Vessel Skippers and Fishermen/women in Gaspésie -- Îles-de-la-Madeleine Region as well as in the rest of the Québec.
Location Employment Potential Release Date
Gaspésie -- Îles-de-la-Madeleine Region Limited 2013-01-18

For the 2012-2014 period, job opportunities in the Gaspésie - Îles-de-la-Madeleine region are expected to be limited for this occupation.

The number of fishing vessel skippers and fishermen has been dropping sharply in recent years. The moratoria and lower fishing quotas generated by the decline in certain fish stocks have resulted in a decrease in the number of fishing enterprises. The restructuring of certain fishing fleets has resulted in fishing license buyback programs and the reduction of fishing effort. The uncertainty around the profitability of fishing businesses owing to reduced biomass for certain species, a lukewarm world economic recovery, the strength of the Canadian dollar and increased foreign competition have done nothing to inspire the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to issue any additional commercial fishing licences. Consequently, the number of fishing vessel skippers and fisherman will slightly decrease in the coming years.

Nonetheless, there are expected to be a few opportunities resulting from jobs vacated by retiring workers since 22% of fishing vessel skippers and fisherwomen/men are aged 55 and over. According to a study by the Comité sectoriel de main-d'oeuvre des pêches maritimes (marine fisheries sector committee), few young people aged 35 years and under manage to purchase a fishing business and to become fishing masters because fishing masters aged 55 and over are having increasing difficulty selling their businesses. Although a pool of potential buyers exists, the asking price and unreliable profitability seem to be the main stumbling blocks.

[ Source: Labour Market Information - HRSDC ]

Local Labour Market News

Week of Apr 29 – May 03, 2013

[ Source: Labour Market Information - HRSDC ]
Please consult the Québec and Canada tabs for more useful information related to outlook.