Deep Sea Fishermen’s Union and State Labor Organizations Complete Survey To Assist Displaced Crab Crewmembers

The reduction or elimination of excess fishing capacity through regulatory rationalization and buyback programs provides many important benefits, including increased safety, improved conservation, and greater efficiency.  However, by decreasing fleet size, such programs greatly reduce the number of jobs for skippers and crewmembers.

The Deep Sea Fishermen’s Union of the Pacific is spearheading an effort to identify maritime and non-maritime training and funding opportunities for fishermen displaced by the recent capacity reduction vessel buyback and rationalization programs for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries.  If these opportunities can be successfully identified and applied to those fisheries, the Union would undertake similar efforts for the upcoming Gulf of Alaska groundfish and Bering Sea-Aleutian Island Non-Pollock Groundfish rationalization programs.

As a starting point, to identify training needs and opportunities, the Union, with assistance from Lori Province, Workforce Investment Act, Labor Liaison, at the Washington State Labor Council, conducted a survey of potential participants. The retraining initiative was enthusiastically embraced by Dennis Birge of the State of Washington Employment Security, Marlena Sessions of the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County and Wendy Roark from the King County Rapid Response Team.  Together, they  made the resources of their organizations available to Washington State residents.

The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development already has a viable program for displaced fishermen.  Dennis, and Marlena, along with Lori, are currently exploring ways to involve other jurisdictions to assist fishermen residing outside Washington and Alaska.

Armed with basic information from the survey, the stage is set to return to Congress for any required federal funding or programmatic authority or direction.  DSFU and the King County Labor Council are working with Senator Murray’s staff to find additional resources and funds.  Earlier efforts to engage Congress demonstrated the need a survey to support a labor initiative of this nature.

This is a most important issue for working fishermen and their families.  When the federal government reduced capacity in the halibut and sablefish fisheries, we lost a significant percentage of our crew jobs.  Unemployed fishermen stood by and watched, as vessel owners and those crew members who remained in the fisheries reaped financial benefits from increased catches, improved safety, higher prices, and reduced costs—not to mention the value of individual fishing quotas issued to owners, and purchased by crew members with federal loans. 

The BSAI crab buyback, again, provided considerable compensation for vessel owners and some limited potential benefits for crew members who remained in the fisheries, but there was no provision to assist skippers and crew members who lost their jobs.  While crew shares would potentially increase—for those crew who remained employed—the shares would be reduced by the fees placed on the remaining participants to fund the buyback.  Notable, too, is the fact that processors, for the first time, received quota shares—a highly objectionable development—and communities were protected by regional landing requirements and development quotas. 

The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab industry has already bought back 25 vessels and additional vessels have already been tied up in anticipation of the first season under the new rationalization program.  Knowledgeable industry participants believe that, initially, it will take approximately 125 vessels, perhaps even less, to catch the TAC under a rationalized fishery.  With 278 boats at the outset, this means about 153 vessels will have left the fishery.  Averaging 5 crew per boat, this means a total of approximately 765 displaced crew.  As noted above, the halibut/sablefish fishery experienced a similar reduction in vessels and crew jobs and it is anticipated that similar crew reductions will occur when they rationalize the groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.

The survey was highly successful in providing significant information on the potential pool of displaced fishermen, their backgrounds, and their needs.  DSFU sent out 289 questionnaires and put the survey on a web site.  Pacific Fishing Magazine and Fishermen’s News published articles soliciting participation.  We had 66, or about 20%, of the questionnaires returned.   Most surveys are considered successful if their return rate exceeds 10%.  We are grateful to those who filled out the questionnaires, to the publications that supported us, and to the Washington State Labor Council, the Pacific Coast Maritime Consortium and the Sailor’s Union of the Pacific for their outstanding support. The survey validated our assumptions, and offered us food for more thought and further action. 

Of the 66 respondents, 47% are from Washington State, 32% from Alaska, 9% from Oregon, 5% from Idaho and 1.4% each from California, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan and Utah.  As we expected, the majority of the displaced crewmembers, are from Washington

92% are the families’ principal wage earners, and 42% of spouses also worked.  11% are veterans.  38% have a high school education.  40% have some college education, 5% have an AA degree and 11% have a Baccalaureate.  23% own their own homes.  27% have one child, 25% have two children, 5% have 3 children, 11% have four children and 3% have 5 children.  Clearly, these statistics show a significant financial impact from reduced employment in the fisheries.

One of the most surprising statistics had to do with years in the fishing industry.  Fully 73% of those who responded, said they have 20 or more years in the industry.  9% have between 16 and 19 years, 11% have between 13 and 15 years and the remainder have between 1 and 12 years.  This demonstrates that potentially displaced fishermen have invested substantial portions of their productive lives to fishing.  By any reasonable standard, this should give them the right to equitable treatment in economic and social adjustments following upon buyback and rationalization programs.

Their ages range from under 21 (2%), to 62 and over (3%).  3% are between 22 and 29, 22% are between 30 and 39, 40% are between 40 and 49 and 31% are between 50 and 62 years old.  Interestingly, 93% of the respondents are between 30 and 62.  This is the group most likely to have family obligations and need relocation/retraining assistance.  This, most likely, is the reason that 70% have income over $55,000 and 18% have income between $45,000 and $55,000.  Only 3% say they have earnings between $35,000 and $45,000, while 10% have earnings between $25,000 and $35,000.  5% earn below $25,000.

47% have a merchant marine document or license and 76% have documented sea time.  This would prove useful, if they want to find employment in the maritime industry outside fishing.

The respondents noted many job skills that could be used as a basis for retraining and future employment.   As expected, the maritime trades dominate.  30% of the respondents report having a 1600 ton inspected license, 9% are 100 ton masters and 11% say they have an engineer certificate or license.  18% say they are captains, 8% have an AB unlimited rating and 3% have an AB limited.  These are skilled people.

Even with this information available to Congress, the road ahead for the effort to secure fair and equitable treatment for displace skippers and crew members will not be easy.  Working fishermen will need to have their voices heard as important political constituents.

For additional information on survey results and suggestions on what can be done to support this vitally important effort, call the DSFU office at (206) 783-2922.  For additional information concerning retraining and employment opportunities call or email Wendy Roark of the rapid response program at (206) 205-3639 or email her at www.worksourceskc.org.