Fishing Hand

A fishing hand performs manual labour aboard commercial fishing vessels, assisting with the capture, handling, and processing of fish and seafood. Working in harsh marine conditions, they operate fishing equipment, sort and preserve catches, and maintain vessel safety and hygiene standards in accordance with Australian maritime and food safety regulations.

Deploy and retrieve fishing nets, lines, or traps using manual and mechanical winches. Sort caught fish and seafood by species, size, and quality standards for market or processing. Pack and ice catches to preserve freshness during voyages, following food safety protocols. Clean and maintain fishing gear including nets, lines, hooks, and traps. Monitor fish holds and storage areas to ensure appropriate temperature and hygiene conditions. Operate deck equipment such as hydraulic winches, pulleys, and sorting conveyors under supervision. Assist with vessel maintenance tasks including painting, repairs, and securing cargo. Comply with safety procedures including use of personal protective equipment and life jacket protocols.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll work 12 to 16 hour days in freezing spray, high winds, and rough seas. Your hands will be constantly cut and bruised from ice and sharp gear. The pay is low and casual: you only earn when the boat goes out and catches fish. Automation in processing and overfishing mean fewer boats operate now than a decade ago.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 8992, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Dispatch Documentation
• Goods Receipt Processing
• Inventory Tracking
• Multitasking
• Quality Assurance and Checking

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026