Shipboard Seafood Quality Control Technician
SHIPBOARD SEAFOOD QUALITY CONTROL TECHNICIAN. BRISTOL BAY, ALASKA
Please read the following and DO click on the links.
If you want to proceed, please send me an up-to-date résumé and we’ll go from there.
Mark Buckley
THE JOB:
Commercial salmon fishermen who sell to certain companies in Bristol Bay, Alaska get paid extra if they follow specific quality-enhancing practices. For example, the “base price” for the fish could be $1 per pound; but if the fishermen follow all the quality procedures they could earn up to an extra 30-35¢ per pound. This can really add up if the fisherman catches 100,000 pounds, or more.
Our job is to certify that the fishermen do indeed follow those quality procedures. Our clients, the fish buyers, spend millions extra for quality and they deserve to get what they pay for. On the flip side, it takes extra time and effort for the fishermen to jump through those quality hoops. If a fisherman sees that the “other guy” isn’t jumping through the hoops but is getting the quality bonus anyway, then what incentive does our fisherman have to keep doing the right thing?
My solution is to put quality control people out on the water, on boats called “tenders.” In Bristol Bay, 99.9% of driftnet fishermen deliver their fish to a tender, which is generally in the 100’ ballpark, much larger than a 32’ fishing boat. Tenders almost always have regular kitchens, hot & cold running water, flush toilets, showers, washing machines, TVs and DVD players, central heat and bunks for everyone. Tenders spend a lot of their time anchored in or near river mouths, where the seas are generally quite calm. Very few people get seasick when the tender is on anchor.
Anyone who is reasonably intelligent can learn how to check for quality. The “knowledge” part of the job is very simple. What I’m really looking for are people who have the smarts and drive to get out there and do the work, while being a good shipmate on the tender.
The normal routine is that two or more tenders service one fishing area. While one tender is busy taking fish from the fleet, the other tender is en route to or from the seafood plant, which is usually back in Naknek. We deploy one QC person to rotate between these tenders. When tender "A” is loaded with fish and is preparing to return to Naknek, our QC person jumps over onto tender "B” and works there until tender “A” is back and ready to take fish again. This cycle repeats for days or weeks, as necessary.
The job requires a fair bit of agility and physical/mental stamina. You’ll need to jump up, down and over water as you move from boat-to-boat. You’ll need to dodge 1,000-pound bags of salmon that are swinging from the fishing boat to the tender. Some days you’ll need to work out on deck for up to 12 hours without a real break, other than a quick trip inside the cabin for a cup of coffee and (maybe) a sandwich. Weather will be chilly. Think Seattle in winter.
First year pay is $175 per day. I will deduct the usual taxes, etc., (@15.9%) from that. There is no state income tax in Alaska, but you must still pay Federal taxes and State unemployment tax.
You will fly out of Seattle sometime between June 14 and 24. Depending on the seafood company and on my contracts with them, you will work for ~30-35 consecutive days and you will be paid for every day.
Life on the tenders can run from quite pleasant to rather dreadful, depending on the crew and the boat. Sometimes you’ll be on an all-male boat; other times there will be two or three females aboard. The vast majority of the ~250 tender captains are male. There are just a handful of female captains that I’m aware of. All the tender crews will have been advised to treat you with respect. Complaints of harassment are dealt with quickly. For your part, you will be happier if you aspire to be “one of the guys.” If you see yourself as “visiting royalty," you’ll be in for a rude awakening and an unhappy experience. I encourage my crew to overcome shyness by pitching in and making themselves useful. Learn how to help tie up the boat. Volunteer to wash the dishes. If you think the bathroom is dirty, then just roll up your sleeves and clean it, vs. complain about how disgusting it is. Do you have a special dish you like to cook? Something hearty and simple, like spaghetti or pizza? Ask the cook if you can make dinner and he’ll be happy to show you where all the foodstuffs are stored. Tender crews tend to fall in love with QC people who make themselves useful; I get rave reports when the season is over about the helpful ones, and I also get requests from tender men to please not re-hire some. It’s really a lot nicer for everyone if the tender crew is happy to have you aboard, vs. eager to get rid of you.
One thing important to note: your work on deck is paramount. No matter how good a shipmate you are, if you are slow or unaware when you’re doing your QC job, then the tender crews will want to get rid of you--pronto. Tender crews can get rewarded at the end of the season if they get praise from the fishermen. Most fishermen, like most people, hate to wait in line. The fishing fleet likes tender crews who move fast. Therefore, fishermen complain bitterly about slow tenders—regardless of whether the bottleneck is the tender crew or the QC.
For their part, tender captains can usually control whom they hire as crew, and the captains almost always try to hire people who, they hope, will be safe and fast. But tender captains have no control over hiring the QC staff. That’s my job. If the captains view you as a liability, they will try to pass you off to the next tender quickly. If they view you as useless, they will complain, and I’ll be forced to step in and correct the problem.
Bottom line: you’ll need to move fast and to keep on moving fast for hours. If you naturally move at a slower pace, or if you don’t have the stamina to work safely and expeditiously, then you may not be a good fit for this job.
Here is an eight-minute video that was shot in 2019. It gives a pretty good overview of the job:
The following video is also helpful. It’s specifically designed to answer the questions of students in Europe who are looking for a summer internship, but it provides a good overview of Bristol Bay, the QC job, and the QC lifestyle:
Please view the other videos I’ve linked to at the end of this email, for an idea of what the tenders and the fishing boats look like, and do.
Additionally, please be aware many tender crews smoke tobacco. If you have a hard time with that, this job may not be for you. ALSO: cooks on some tenders can be less-than-talented. Many tender crews eat well, but not every crew does. Be aware that in some cases a meal may be slices of baloney and Velveeta cheese on white Wonder Bread. If you are vegan or vegetarian, or if you are lactose or gluten intolerant, you may be very unhappy and this job probably will not work for you.
I pay my first year crew's round trip plane fare from Seattle or points in Alaska to King Salmon and will provide ground transportation between the King Salmon airport and the port of Naknek, which is 16 miles away. If you complete the season successfully, I’ll pay your plane fare from Seattle to home. I make sure my crew has secure places to sleep & board while they're ashore.
A job requirement is for you to check in by text every day. I’ll want you to tell your crew leader where you are, what boat you’re on, and, if possible, what boat you’ll be heading to next. I’ll also want you to tell your crew leader how the fishing has been since you both last communicated. If you feel that texting your crew leader every day will be an unbearable burden, then this job will not work for you.
The job will also involve hours, or days, of doing nothing. Most boats nowadays have Starlink, so it’s likely you’ll have Internet access at sea. Nevertheless, you will get bored. You may go through some form of withdrawal from “life as I know it,” and become grumpy. I have three bits of advice for you:
1. Bring books
2. Bring books
3. Bring more book
Those books will help you keep sane.
This job also requires everyone remain 100% drug (including weed)- and alcohol-free while you are out on the water. I have a zero-tolerance policy regarding this issue. If you are caught consuming drugs and/or alcohol while on the water, you will be fired immediately. You will be paid for your days worked but I will cease providing you with food and shelter. Please be aware that Alaska labor law states that if you get fired because you violated policies you previously agreed to, your transportation costs to return home become your responsibility. In other words: get fired and you will have to buy your plane ticket home.
The summer of 2026 will be my 46th consecutive year as a business owner in Bristol Bay. In all my years I have fired less than 10 people.
I purchase a $1 million Workers’ Compensation policy from Alaska National Insurance, in Anchorage. In the unlikely event you’re injured on the job, you’ll be covered.
GEAR NEEDED
You’ll need to supply/pay for the following:
Sturdy raingear (see below)
Rubber gloves (we’ll get these in Naknek).
Sturdy rubber boots (XtraTuf Legacy are best)
Sleeping bag
Pillow
Towel
Personal items such as toothbrush, etc.
Warm hat
Warm jacket & pants.
Duffle bag
Hard-sided suitcases and packs with packframes do not work on boats. Collapsible duffle bags are best. If your bag gets a lot of slime on it, you’ll probably want to toss it at the end of the season. I recommend you outfit yourself with this inexpensive, 80-liter duffle bag:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1HDFNI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UT F8&psc=1
Some of my QCs have sensibly noted that a water-resistant duffle bag can be superior to a plain one. If you prefer a water-resistant duffle, I think the 51-liter version of this bag should do the job at a reasonable price:
https://drop.com/buy/element-equipment-trailhead-duffel-bag
To do this job properly, you’ll need a full set of rain gear, including boots. I recommend Grundens rain jackets and rain pants and XtraTuf boots. Wise rain gear colors are yellow and orange. Bright colors are best because if you fall overboard at night or when it’s foggy, your rescuers will have a better chance of seeing you if you’re wearing brightly colored gear. I recommend you acquire rain gear and boots in the Lower 48 because the cost will be higher in Alaska. They won’t be cheap—your cost to buy everything new will exceed $400. However: you really don’t want to buy cheap raingear & boots. The last thing you need is for your gear to fall apart and leak when you’re out on the Bering Sea. If that happens you’ll be in for some very miserable times and you’ll end up buying the good stuff anyway—paying Alaska prices for it. FYI: the smart people in Bristol Bay tend to wear orange rain gear. I have attached a photo showing a 2016 employee wearing Grundens rain gear. This is standard wear in the industry.
Please be aware that the rain pants, rain jacket, and neoprene boots shown in the links below are available in women’s sizes.
Mens pants: https://grundens.com/products/neptune-509-bib-pant
Womens pants: https://grundens.com/products/sedna-510-bib-trouser
Mens jacket:
https://grundens.com/products/neptune-319-jacket?variant=42741657338105
Womens jacket: https://grundens.com/products/sedna-462-hooded-jacket
Mens boots:
https://www.seamar.com/item/SRV22172G-SZ/BOOT-XTRATUF-REG-TOE-12-/
Womens boots: https://www.seamar.com/item/SRVXWL1SD-SZ/BOOT-XTRATUF-WOMS-SANDLR/
I recommend trying on the jacket, pants and boots before you buy. At those prices you deserve a good fit.
Seattle Marine (SEAMAR) is a commercial fishermen’s supply store in Seattle that I like. It’s located close to Fishermens Terminal.
One possibility is for you to try on the items in a store and then see if you can get some used rain gear through Craigslist. You can probably save at least $100 that way. You can simply wash the jacket & pants in a regular washer and add bleach along with the detergent.
Some people buy new boots and make do with used rain gear.
Here’s a link to a radio story from 2018. It describes a day in the life of a QC, with photos on the website:
https://alaskapublic.org/news/2018-07-24/college-students-help-keep-bristol-bay-sockeye-top-tier
ALASKA LOGISTICS and SCHEDULING:
If you come through Seattle, you will need to provide your own transportation to & from Sea-Tac Airport.
In 2026, Naknek’s annual summer celebration, the “Fishtival,” will happen July 17-19. Many people come into town for that. Most of my people will fly back to Seattle & beyond between July 21 and 24.
I urge everyone on my crew to make at very least a day trip visit to Katmai National Park, to see the brown bears catching leaping salmon at Brooks Falls. As an incentive, I offer to subsidize your airfare to the park by $100. Any day in July after your work is done would be a good day for that—others on my crew will probably go on one of those days. In 2024 the roundtrip floatplane ride was $450, but the experience is well worth it. In fact, I am so confident the experience will be positive that for years I have offered to reimburse the plane fare to any of my employees who report the trip was a waste. In 40 years not one person has taken me up on that. Please refer to the bottom link below for an idea of what you’ll see in Katmai. The video was shot from the same viewpoint you’ll stand at. You really will be that close to the bears and fish.
If you decide to stay longer in Naknek/King Salmon, you’re welcome to do so. Please be aware, though, that my obligations to feed and house you will end 2-3 days after your job ends in July, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
If you have any questions and/or wish to proceed, shoot me an email and we’ll talk!
All the best,
Mark Buckley
Digital Observer, Inc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4gWhZHaBFA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLVC3nF_1Ko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EurWaA7qCDw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGVn69U7Zg
For more info on Katmai National Park as a whole, watch here: