Persons employed in the maritime industry work as deckhands or operators on commercial
fishing vessels and/or other merchant vessels engaged in the transport of freight
or passengers. Deckhands are responsible for keeping the vessel and its equipment
in working order and, in the commercial fishing industry, may be responsible for
standing a watch in the wheelhouse and conducting the vessel from one point to another
while adhering to the principles of navigation and the rules of the road. Vessel
operators are responsible for the operation and navigation of the vessel, as well
as all safety issues aboard. In the merchant or passenger carrying trade, these operators
are required to possess a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Marine officers
license. Regulations requiring operators in the fishing industry to be licensed are
currently under congressional consideration.
Recent U.S. Coast Guard rulings dealing with minimum crew size have increased
the demand for deckhands in the ocean towing industry. In the commercial fishing
industry, the demand for deckhands is greatest in the trawl and longline fisheries.
Deckhands who have obtained special skills in navigation, splicing, rigging, net
mending, welding and engine room systems have considerably enhanced employment opportunities.
The demand for vessel operators in the charter fishing industry is dependent on geographical
location. Towing vessel operators must possess a U.S. Coast Guard license.
NOTE: The Commanding Officer at the U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime
Center has authorized the verification of the identity of students enrolled in Coast
Guard approved courses. Click here for more information.
|