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  6. Self-Employed Fishers

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Self-Employed Fishers

On this page

  • Job description
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2024-2028
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals fish for fish and other marine animals on board of their own boats.

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature
  • Climatic conditions
  • Equipment, machinery, tools
  • Vehicle or passenger compartment
  • Odours
  • Humidity
  • Hazardous workplaces
  • Noise

Main tasks

  • Operate a fishing vessel to catch fish and other marine animals.
  • Determine the fishing grounds and set and maintain course to reach them.
  • Steer vessels using navigational instruments.
  • Direct the fishing and monitor the crew’s activities.
  • Maintain the engine, fishing instruments, and on-board equipment.
  • Keep a record of fishing activities, weather, and sea conditions.
  • Evaluate operating costs and prepare a budget for each fishing season.
  • Establish a fish marketing plan and maintain records of all financial transactions.
  • Transport fish to processing plants or deliver fish to buyers, as required.

Hourly wage

Not available.

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2023

All of Québec

700

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
10.6% Female
89.4% Male

Not available.
  • 10.6% Female
  • 89.4% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2020

All of Québec

$51,600

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • Seasonal worker
  • Non traditional for women
  • None

All of Québec

  • Seasonal worker
  • Non traditional for women
  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Agriculture and Fishing
    NAICS 111, 112, 114, 1151, 1152
    92% of jobs
  2. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  3. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  4. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  5. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  6. Others
    0% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Agriculture and Fishing
    NAICS 111, 112, 114, 1151, 1152
    92% of jobs
  2. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  3. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  4. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  5. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    8% of jobs
  6. Others
    0% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

Secondary

DVS in pêche professionnelle
Code : 5257
More on graduates’ employment situation

Also required

  • Commercial fishing licence.
  • Licence for each species of fish caught.

Sometimes required

  • Several years of experience as Helper or Crew Member on a fishing vessel are usually required.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Oral expression
  • Operations and control
  • Data collection
  • Active listening
  • Judgment and decision-making
  • Critical thought
  • Monitoring operations
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Limb coordination
  • Manual dexterity
  • Reaction time
  • Static muscle power
  • Control accuracy
  • Physical flexibility in extension
  • Digital dexterity
  • Hand-arm stability
  • Speed control
  • Classification
  • Core strength
  • Dynamic strength
  • Depth perception
  • Speech recognition
  • Distance vision
  • Near vision
  • Selective attention
  • Speech clarity
  • Oral comprehension
  • Overall balance of the body
  • Verbal skills
  • Information organization
  • Deductive reasoning
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Focussed on results
  • Capacity to work in a team
  • Rigour
  • Respect standards and regulations
  • Assiduity and punctuality
  • Sense of observation
  • Tolerance to frequent temperature variations
  • Knowledge of plant and animal production
  • Patience
  • Knowledge of mechanics

Interests

  • Self-employment
  • Work manually
  • Develop and exploit natural resources
  • Exercer une activité sportive ou physique
  • Work outdoors

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Realistic
People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Enterprising
People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Social
People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Additional information

Official name of the NOC 83121

Fishermen/women

Job titles

  • Fisherman/woman
  • Line fisherman/woman
  • Pot fisherman/woman
  • Gill net fisherman/woman
  • Crab fisherman/woman
  • Clam dredge operator
  • Seaweed dragger
  • Harpoon fisherman/woman
  • Seaweed harvesting machine operator
  • Shellfish harvester operator
  • Fishing vessel skipper
  • Gillnetter skipper
  • Trap boss - fishing
  • Inshore fisherman/woman
  • Weir fisherman/woman
  • Handliner fisherman/woman
  • Longline fisherman/woman
  • Purse seine fisherman/woman
  • Danish seine fisherman/woman
  • Otter trawl fisherman/woman
  • Beam trawl fisherman/woman
  • Trap fisherman/woman
  • Hoop net fisherman/woman
  • Swordfish fisherman/woman
  • Shellfish fisherman/woman
  • Lobster fisherman/woman
  • Prawn fisherman/woman
  • Clam fisherman/woman
  • Scallop dredger
  • Shore fisherman/woman
  • Troller fisherman/woman
  • Longliner fisherman/woman
  • Seiner fisherman/woman
More Less job titles

Skill type

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

Related occupations

  • Fishing masters and officers
  • Fishing vessel deckhands

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi

See also

Non traditional

Hats Off to You!

Last update: January 29, 2026

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