Master Fisher

A Master Fisher commands and operates commercial fishing vessels, managing crew, navigating fishing grounds, and ensuring compliance with Australian fisheries regulations and maritime safety laws. They make operational decisions regarding catch management, vessel maintenance, and route planning while monitoring fish stocks, weather conditions, and fuel efficiency. The role combines maritime seamanship, fisheries knowledge, and business responsibility for a working vessel in Australian territorial and international waters.

Navigate fishing vessels using GPS, radar, and electronic chart displays to locate fishing grounds and avoid hazards. Monitor and interpret fish-finding sonar equipment to identify schools and optimise catch efficiency. Oversee deployment and retrieval of fishing gear including nets, lines, traps, or pots according to target species and fishing method. Manage crew safety briefings, work assignments, and supervision of deck operations during fishing activities. Maintain logbooks documenting catch weight, species, location, time at sea, and fuel consumption as required by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA). Comply with quota systems, fishing closures, and species restrictions under the Fisheries Management Act 1991. Conduct pre-voyage and at-sea inspections of vessel hull, engines, hydraulics, nets, and safety equipment. Coordinate maintenance and repair schedules with shore-based engineers and suppliers.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). 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.

Fuel costs eat into profits, and you're competing against industrial operators with bigger vessels. The certification pathway is long and expensive, and once you're in, you're at sea for weeks at a time in rough conditions. Weather delays mean unpredictable income.

Most positions are based in working ports rather than major cities. Remote work doesn't apply to this occupation.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2312, 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.

• Delivery Schedulingcore
• Dispatch Documentationcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Negotiationcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Conflict Resolution
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Record Management
• Research and Analysis
• Supplier Communication
• Written Communication

• 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