Young Fishers in Alaska

TRANSCRIPT
Young Fishers in Alaska

NARRATOR:
In Alaska, commercial fishing has long been a way of life — but it’s changing fast. The industry is shrinking and aging, and young people are becoming a rare sight on the docks. For many, the high cost of buying equipment makes it difficult to get started. And as climate change affects ocean temperatures and fish stocks, fewer people see it as a stable long-term career. Despite this, some young fishers are willing to try. Lane Bolich left his hometown in Washington State to work on the ocean. After two years as a deckhand, he’s now a captain — at just 20 years old.

SOUNDBITE - Lane Bolich:
“I really enjoy the captaining part of it. It’s cool having that responsibility and being in charge of the boat and you learn so much because you’re a plumber, the electrician, you’re everything on the boat.”

NARRATOR:
Lane is eager to learn every detail of captaining. His goal is to run his own boat one day, and eventually teach others how to do it too. At the same time, he understands the challenges facing the fishing industry.

SOUNDBITE - Lane Bolich:
“The golden days of fishing are kind of behind us and now it’s kind of a recovery of trying to bring the fish back and trying to keep this a viable way of making a living.”

NARRATOR:
Some fishers and conservation groups are supporting young people with grants and training to encourage them to join the fishing industry. They hope the next generation of fishers will help make the industry more sustainable. Mentoring programs could make a real difference, as finding reliable and capable employees is becoming increasingly difficult. Captain Darren Platt has struggled to recruit qualified crew for his salmon boat.

SOUNDBITE - Darren Platt:
“It’s hard to find people, I mean that’s just the challenge. There’s not a whole lot of experience. There’s not enough experienced people out there to fully be employed in the fleet.”

NARRATOR:
For some newcomers, commercial fishing is a temporary job that helps them gain experience, which can lead to other careers such as marine engineering. Juan Zuniga, a first-year deckhand on Platt’s boat, came all the way from Florida for the opportunity to build new skills.

SOUNDBITE - Juan Zuniga:
“I mean this is a pretty far place from where I live so a very big step out of my comfort zone. If you’re coming out here you gotta understand that you’re coming out here to learn.”

NARRATOR:
Although fewer young people are entering the industry today, those who do are helping to keep fishing traditions alive and shape its future.