ALFA Launches 2025 Crew Training Program

Crew training opportunities for the 2025 fishing season are being offered by the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) in an effort to match the needs of skippers with young people interested in a career in commercial fisheries.

ALFA is partnering with the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) in the Young Fishermen Initiative, which dates back to 2015. The objective of this crew training program is to attract younger entrants into an industry where the average fisherman’s age in Alaska is over 50.

To date, over 100 apprentices have been trained and placed on local fishing vessels in Southeast Alaska, according to the two organizations.

“There are always skippers looking for crew and crew looking for skippers,” ALFA communications and program director Natalie Sattler said.

The Young Fishermen Initiative gives applicant names to vessel captains willing to hire and train crew.

“Some skippers are looking for greenhorns and some are looking for more experienced crew,” she said. “We try to offer short term and longer-term positions.”

Inquiries from skippers come from all over Southeast Alaska, Bristol Bay, Prince William Sound and elsewhere in Alaska. Most applicants for crew training are from Alaska, but some also come from out of state, Sattler said.

The program is trying to reach out to more indigenous communities, to encourage youths from all over to try life as part of a commercial fishing crew.

Last year, the program placed 18 crew on commercial fishing boats.

Over several years, one of the skipper participants, ALFA member Eric Jordan of the f/v I Gotta, said he has brought over 50 young people fishing as part of the crew training program. While on the water, Jordan said, he teaches the deckhands the intricacies of commercial fishing and demonstrates sustainable fishing practices to encourage a strong conservation ethic.

The Crew Training Program aims to provide young people with an interest in pursuing a career in commercial fishing an opportunity to gain experience and give young people the opportunity to better understand commercial fishing, the lifestyle it provides, and its important role in supporting coastal communities, all while providing a safe, well-guided, entry level experience.

This year ALFA and ASFT said they hope to place several apprentices with local and regional skippers and enhance local employment opportunities.

“With support from numerous funders, we have been fortunate to expand the program to include more boats, crew, and communities,” ALFA Executive Director Linda Behnken said. “Our goal is to provide young people with a safe introduction to Alaska’s fisheries and to share the curriculum we have developed through our program with fishing groups in other parts of the state and country.”

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/alfa-launches-2025-crew-training-program/