At Sea Vessel Processor

QUICK FACTS

Estimated earnings: $4,000-$7,000/month (crew-share based, average of two trips per month)

Free room and board

Gear provided - American Seafoods covers the cost for new hires

Travel assistance available for new hires getting to Seattle

Medical/Rx benefits, upon meeting qualification periods

401(k) with company match, upon meeting qualification periods

Trips typically run 14-21 days, for a season of 3+ months at sea

THE WORK

Seafood processors work aboard at-sea processing vessels in the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Aleutian Islands, converting raw fish into a processed, high-quality product ready for sale. The work is strenuous and sometimes hazardous, with the vessel operating in all types of weather conditions - and it's work that matters, on a boat with a crew that takes care of its own.

WHAT YOULL DO

Sort fish by species

Tend and operate machines

Hand fillet whole fish

Inspect fish products to meet American Seafoods Company's standards of quality

Weigh, pack, label, stack and place the product into freezers

Load and unload supplies on the vessel

Clean factory equipment and perform other duties as assigned

WHO WERE LOOKING FOR

Able to follow visual or written directions and specific verbal instructions in English

Able to live in close shared quarters with others and able to climb in and out of bunk beds 50 inches high

Good balance/equilibrium

Able to be on-board ship for long periods, without suffering from motion sickness (that is not correctable)

Able to operate moving machinery, without need for medication that limits such activity

Capable of working up to 16 hours per day - with no time off, during a 3-month period

Able to work and live in tight/close quarters, without claustrophobic reactions

Able to work in a cool, damp environment. With proper equipment, must be able to work in temperatures of 30 to -40 degrees

WHAT TO EXPECT, PHYSICALLY

This job is physically demanding - here's what it involves, so you know exactly what you're signing up for:

Ability to pass a pre-employment and random drug tests

Must be 18 years of age or older

Capable of boarding and exiting a vessel without physical assistance by climbing up and down a gangplank or using a Jacob's ladder

Able to climb or descend one or more set of steep stairs, or vertical ladders inside and outside the vessel in all weather conditions as extreme as 30 degrees below zero

Able to work in confined work-spaces

Able to raise objects from floor level to overhead positions, moving objects horizontally from position-to-position

Job requires frequent to constant use of the upper extremities, leg and back muscles for up to 16 hours per day. Weights vary from 0-77 pounds

Able to exert force on/against an object in order to move it away or toward for up to 16 hours per day. Force varies from 0 to 50 pounds

Able to ascend or descend steep ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is required to move about, board and exit a vessel by climbing up and down a gangplank. Must possess enough hand and arm strength to support one's body weight in the case of a Jacob's ladder or scramble net for up to 16 hours per day

Able to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces due to the motion of the vessel or the environmental conditions

Full body motion and use: (1) constant bending body downward and forward (bending spine at the waist or by bending legs and spine) requiring full use of the lower extremities and back muscles; (2) moving about or resting on the hands and knees or hands and feet (occasionally to frequently); (3) rotating the upper trunk/torso to one side or the other from a neutral position while sitting or standing (frequent to constant) for up to 16 hours per day

Able to use both hands to handle fish fillets moving on a conveyor belt (40 inches high)

Fine finger and manual dexterity to inspect and scoop or place fish manually into pans, to reach/push baskets (15-20 lbs) and block frames or freezer pans on a conveyor belt (full pans weigh 40+ lbs) for up to 16 hours per day

WORK SCHEDULE

12 to 16 hours per day for the duration of the trip, including loading and unloading

Ability to work at sea for extended periods of time (3+ months)

HOW PAY WORKS

Crew-share-based pay means your compensation is tied to the vessel's catch rather than a fixed hourly or daily wage. Pay varies by trip and reflects overall catch size and performance. Each fishing trip typically lasts 14-21 days, though trip length may vary depending on fishing conditions.