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Fishing and Hunting Workers

SOC 45-3031.00Job Zone 2 · Some Preparation

Hunt and trap wild animals for human consumption, fur, feed, bait, or other purposes; or use nets, fishing rods, traps, or other equipment to catch and gather fish or other aquatic animals from rivers, lakes, or seas, or set up and inspect nets, lines, traps, etc.

Context coveredCommercial fishing fleets (long-line, trawl, gillnet, troll, pot), guided hunting and trapping, fur and game-meat sales; safety, regulation, navigation, vessel operations.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Routine deck work (lines, nets, traps) — perform under a senior crewmember's direction on a commercial vessel.
  2. Personal protective equipment and immersion suits — apply consistently in marine and cold-weather settings.
  3. Standard knots, splices, and net mending — execute on routine gear during off-watch.
  4. Vessel safety (drills, fire, MOB, abandon-ship) — participate without prompting on the vessel.
  5. Wildlife handling (game, bait, traps) — perform under a guide's direction with documented training.
  6. Routine catch counts, tag retrieval, and logbook entries — record accurately under captain or guide review.
  7. Sea sickness, cold-water exposure, and fatigue — manage with documented self-care.
  8. Routine engine and deck-equipment checks — perform per the operation's daily checklist.
  9. Stowage and watch standing on quiet legs — perform reliably under supervision.
  10. Communications with the captain and crew — relay clearly during operations.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Independent deck operations on familiar gear types — execute reliably across a season.
  2. Hydraulic equipment (winches, haulers, sorting tables) — operate safely with documented training.
  3. Catch quality and grade (icing, bleeding, sorting) — manage to the buyer's standards.
  4. Trip planning and provisioning support — contribute to the captain or guide.
  5. Hunting and trapping ethics and regulations — apply consistently across federal, state, and tribal rules.
  6. Routine vessel and gear maintenance — perform with documented checklists.
  7. Junior crew and apprentices — train on safety, gear, and crew dynamics.
  8. Wildlife dressing, preservation, and transport — execute to processor or buyer standards.
  9. Permits, tags, and quotas (commercial and recreational) — track and apply per the operation.
  10. Communications with port agents, processors, and brokers — conduct at routine level.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Deck-boss or guide-lead role — supervise crew across a fishing season or hunting outfit.
  2. Vessel safety officer responsibilities — own drills, equipment, and documentation per USCG rules.
  3. Quota management and reporting (NOAA, state-fishery, fur-buyer) — own with documented compliance.
  4. Routine repairs (electrical, hydraulic, propulsion) — diagnose and fix at sea with vendor backup.
  5. Catch-quality and product-flow leadership — own from harvest to delivery.
  6. Continuous-improvement (fuel, catch per unit effort, bycatch reduction) — lead with measurable outcomes.
  7. Crew safety culture — establish with measurable injury and near-miss reductions.
  8. Customer-facing guiding — lead trips with strong safety, ethics, and hospitality.
  9. Junior captains, deckbosses, and guides — mentor on operational ownership.
  10. Permits, port relationships, and processor terms — manage at operational level.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Captain or outfit-owner leadership — set direction across vessel, crew, customers, and finances.
  2. Capital decisions (vessels, motors, gear, leases) — author with lenders and partners.
  3. Industry advocacy (fisheries councils, hunting associations) — contribute at policy and rulemaking level.
  4. Crisis response (medical, mechanical, weather, regulatory) — command at sea and on land.
  5. Workforce development and certification programs — build with state agencies and trade groups.
  6. Vertical integration (processor partnerships, direct-to-consumer sales) — design and steward.
  7. Major audits and certifications (MSC, sustainable-fishery programs) — lead at operation level.
  8. Long-term resource-management partnerships — engage with biologists and tribes.
  9. Talent pipelines from coastal and rural communities — build with measurable retention.
  10. Legacy mentorship and field-shaping standards — institutionalize through state and federal programs.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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  1. Emerging
  2. Developing
  3. Proficient
  4. Advanced
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Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors43 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Abalone Fisherman · Albacore Fishing Boat Crewman · Alligator Hunter · Alligator Trapper · Animal Bounty Hunter · Animal Damage Control Agent · Animal Trapper · Bait Man · Beachman · Bird Trapper · Blue Crabber · Boat Deckhand
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Judgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingCoordinationSpeaking
Knowledge domains
GeographyMechanicalCustomer and Personal ServiceLaw and GovernmentBiologyEnglish LanguageSales and MarketingEducation and Training
Abilities
Spatial OrientationFar VisionStatic StrengthFlexibility of ClosureTrunk StrengthNear VisionProblem SensitivityInductive ReasoningArm-Hand SteadinessManual Dexterity
Work styles
PerseveranceDependabilityAdaptabilityIntegrityTolerance for AmbiguityCautiousness
Technology
Data base user interface and query softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareInventory management softwareRoute navigation softwareMap creation softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments.
  2. Remove catches from fishing equipment and measure them to ensure compliance with legal size.
  3. Direct fishing or hunting operations, and supervise crew members.
  4. Interpret weather and vessel conditions to determine appropriate responses.
  5. Travel on foot, by vehicle, or by equipment such as boats, snowmobiles, helicopters, snowshoes, or skis to reach hunting areas.
  6. Select, bait, and set traps, and lay poison along trails, according to species, size, habits, and environs of birds or animals and reasons for trapping them.
  7. Maintain engines, fishing gear, and other on-board equipment and perform minor repairs.
  8. Connect accessories such as floats, weights, flags, lights, or markers to nets, lines, or traps.
CIP education codes
03.0301

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.