How to get a job on a fishing boat? There’s no easy answer
Route 18 commuters aren’t yet on the road and the waterfront is just beginning to stir. There is the clanging of fishermen mending their gear and the sighing brakes of freezer trucks. A baby blue scallop boat peels past the hurricane barrier, its diesel engine murmuring, as it heads to the open ocean beyond. Pat Avila, 39, with a wiry stature and tightly cropped haircut, eyes the ship in the distance as it heads out to sea. He isn’t on a boat this morning. At least, not yet. Instead, he is plying the docks in pursuit of landing a spot on a commercial fishing trip. “The hard part shouldn’t be getting on a boat,” he said. “The hard part is proving yourself once you’re out there. I know I can do that. I’m the hardest worker there is. But I just have to get on a boat first so I can prove myself.” In 2021, 720 permitted fishing boats landed 10,551 trips on the Port of New Bedford, according to a report from the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:30
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