Alaska crab observers gather data onboard commercial crab boats fishing out of ports in the Bering Sea. Most of the assignments are based out of Dutch Harbor, St.Paul, King Cove or Akutan, Alaska.
Boats in the crab fleet range in size from 80-foot catcher vessels to 300-foot catcher/processors. Conditions vary widely, but all require observers to be flexible, resourceful, able to work long hours, and capable of doing some heavy lifting (up to 50 pounds). The workday is determined by the vessel's fishing schedule and can range from 5-15 hours a day.
Trips can last from anywhere 5 to 30 days, with multiple back-to-back deployments not uncommon.
Crab Observer Duties
- Collect crab shell measurements
- Carry out crab ID and sexing
- Sample and report by-catch
- Collect information on daily fishing effort and activity
- Radio reports to ADF&G
- Identify threatened birds, fish and corals
Specific Crab Observer Requirements
In addition to the general requirements that must be met by all observer candidates (see About Observing), crab observers must also be able to:
- use a radio for communications
Crab Observer Trainings
Crab training is an intensive 2 and a half-week course offered by the Observer Training Center in Anchorage, Alaska each fall. Candidates must pass this training with a final score of 90% or better to be eligible for a contract with Saltwater.
All candidate resumes and transcripts must be submitted by Saltwater to ADF&G 30 days prior to the start of the training. Saltwater must receive them at least one week in advance of this deadline. Please see How Do I Apply?
