How to become a commercial fisherman?

Just a Monaghan tinker · 10-12-2018 12:16AM #1

Heya so bit of background might help I suppose haha. I’m a 18 year old lad from Monaghan I am currently working as a welder for a structural steel engineering company since I left school at 16 years old. But I would absolutely love to become a fisherman (working on a trawler) and would appreciate any advice or help anyone could give me.
I know I have to do safety training and stuff and when I look on the BIM website I’m not really sure which courses to apply for as there seems to be different safety training for different sizes of boats and such.
Yes I do realize I would have to move to a fishing village such as Howth or Killybegs but I would love to move to somewhere in Galway (for some personal reasons also) and would love some advice on how to actually get a job as a deckhand on a boat.
After that I suppose if anyone would like to share some personal experience at this type of work that would be so amazing. Thank you . Apologies in advance if this is in the wrong forum I am new to boards.ie

OMM 0000 · 10-12-2018 09:48AM

These should get your started:

https://www.findafishingboat.com/real-fisherman-wanted/ad-99980

https://www.findafishingboat.com/crewman-for-prawn-freezer/ad-99823

Tabnabs · 10-12-2018 10:14AM

Talk to the people who will train you rather than random internet people.

http://www.bim.ie/about-us/contact-us/training/

Plenty of work welding on boats, don't rule that option out either, or offshore in the oil and gas industry.

fryup · 10-12-2018 10:47AM

are you tough are you hard?

cause thats what you have to be to be successful in the commercial fishing game

monkeynuz · 10-12-2018 10:49AM

Rossaveal has a fishing fleet I believe.

Henry Ford III · 10-12-2018 01:00PM

Watch a few back episodes of Deadliest Catch.

Jim2007 · 12-12-2018 02:32PM

Just a Monaghan tinker wrote: »

But I would absolutely love to become a fisherman (working on a trawler) and would appreciate any advice or help anyone could give me.

Have you ever actually gone to sea for a few weeks, experienced waves as high as the gable of a two story house crashing on to a boat, worked in sub-zero weather conditions with out gloves etc? Fishing is just about as hard as it gets, think about the worst conditions you have ever had to work in and then tribble it and you might get an idea of what it is like.

And then there is the money, or more likely the lack of money! You can work hard all week and end up with very little to show for it, if the catch was poor and the week after could be just the same.

My advice is to volunteer on trawler for a few weeks to see what it is like before you commit to it.

How to become a commercial fisherman?

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