Fishing Vessel Skipper

You'll need:

• knowledge of transport methods, costs and benefits
• leadership skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• knowledge of public safety and security
• the ability to use your initiative
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to use your judgement and make decisions
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Fishing vessel skippers work on different types of boat, including:

• inshore vessels, which fish close to the shoreline
• limited area vessels, which fish within a set area around the UK coast
• unlimited area vessels, working in distant fishing grounds in international waters

In your day-to-day duties you may:

• plan fishing voyages
• operate and maintain equipment
• navigate the vessel
• manage the safety of the vessel and crew
• work closely with onshore agents to land and sell the catch
• make sure that fishing trips return a profit
• make sure that each fishing trip follows maritime laws and international fishing regulations
• use electronic systems for navigation, locating fish and monitoring onboard storage conditions

Your working environment may be cramped, physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

Further information

You can find more advice about careers in the fishing industry from Seafish.

You'll need to:

• complete basic sea safety training – STCW – approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
• pass a medical check