Hawaii Observer Employment

Hawaii Observer Working Conditions:

Saltwater is winner on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) contract to deploy observers on the Hawaii longline tuna and swordfish vessels. Observers will be based primarily in Honolulu to collect data on turtles, birds, marine mammals as well as information on target and bycatch species. In the tuna fisheries, trips last about 21 days and swordfish trips are about 30 days. Boats range in size from 49' to 100' and conditions on the vessels can be spartan.

New observers will attend a three-week training class in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Observer candidates must pass written tests with an overall average score of 85% or greater.

Hawaii Observer Duties:

Observers gather information aboard commercial longline vessels about catch, by-catch, location, gear, fishing operations, and the interaction of protected species, particularly sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals.  Observers also collect biological samples from species as directed. Observers will identify bird, marine mammals and fish.  The position also requires weekly radio reports, data entry onto computers and debriefing of data after each trip.

Hawaii Observers Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in one of the biological sciences from an accredited four year college or university with at least 30 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, physics, or mathematics, of which at least six semester hours are in marine science or fisheries.

One year of specialized experience, provided work was performed at an acceptable level, may be substituted for the six semester hours of marine science or fisheries course work. The specialized experience must have been in the field of fisheries and include functions such as: observing ocean-fishing activities, recording data on sea turtle and marine mammal sighting and fishing activities, tallying incidental take of sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals from fishing platforms, collecting biological specimens from postmortem animals and entering collected data into a database using computer.

Hawaii Observer Additional requirements:

* Avoid or deal with motion sickness.
* Live in confined quarters.
* Tolerate stress.
* Lift and carry heavy items.
* Pass observer training course.
* Work independently, yet follow technical instructions.
* Get along well with others.
* Maintain objectivity and the appearance of objectivity.
* Be prepared for sudden sea assignments of extended and uncertain duration.
* Obtain a current CPR and First Aid certification prior to NMFS observer training.
* Be a U.S. citizen, or a non-citizen who has legally resided in the US continuously for at least the past three years and has legal visa status with the INS.

Preferred Experience (please list this experience on your resume):

    * Ocean experience aboard small boats.
    * Scientific data collection and data entry experience in and beyond college.
    * Previous experience as a marine mammal or fisheries observer.
    * Ability to speak Vietnamese or Korean.
    * Familiarity and comfort with the traditional culture and foods of Asian (Korean & Vietnamese) fishers.
    * Valid and current passport.

      If you are interested in becoming a Hawaii observer, click How do I apply?