Tag Archives: crew training program

How a seagoing mentorship program trains ‘greenhorns’ and changes lives

As a student at Vermont’s Middlebury College, Lea LeGardeur loved being on the water. Which proved an asset for LeGardeur, who, after teaching geography at Middlebury, decided to commercial fish in Alaska. LeGardeur’s break came when she discovered the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, or ALFA, based in the small fishing town of Sitka, Alaska. The organization had an extensive record of fighting foreign fishing, trawling and depletion of resources. ALFA had recently secured a grant to fund its Crew Training Program, or CTP. The program was the brainchild of Karl Jordan, who suggested the concept to his father, Eric, shortly after Eric’s wife, Sarah, announced her decision to retire from fishing. Jordan père went on to propose the concept to Linda Behnken, the executive director at ALFA. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:50

Fishing group accepting applicants for crew training program

The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), a Sitka-based fishing group, and partner organization Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) are seeking applicants for its crew training program. The program aims to provide young people an opportunity to gain experience in, as well as an understanding of, commercial fishing and its role in coastal communities, according to a release from the ALFA. Since 2015, more than 100 apprentices have been trained and placed on local fishing vessels in Southeast Alaska, and in late 2017 ALFA was awarded funds to get more boots on deck statewide. >click to read< 11:39