Fishery Biologist 1 (PCN 111967) - State of Alaska

This position serves as the lead dockside sampler for commercial shellfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Primary duties include collecting size frequency, average weight, and species composition data from commercial shellfish landings in several ports in the region, interviewing vessel operators to obtain catch-effort information, entering and editing large amounts of fishery data into the regional database, training new dockside samplers, and updating sampling manuals. Additionally, this position may also sample commercial groundfish deliveries and assist management biologists with various fisheries management tasks.

Our organization, mission and culture:
The Division of Commercial Fisheries strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and well-being are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s mission is to protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of the state, and manage their use and development in the best interest of the economy and the well-being of the people of the state. The mission of the Division of Commercial Fisheries is to manage subsistence, commercial, and personal use fisheries in the interest of the economy and general well-being of the people of the state, consistent with the sustained yield principle, and subject to allocations through public regulatory processes. The Dockside Sampling Program plays an important role in the management of the crab fisheries. This position supports data collection activities critical to informing crab fishery management decisions.

The benefits of joining our team:
This position provides the opportunity to work both indoors and outdoors and is supported by a close-knit team of administrative staff, technicians, and fishery biologists. Shared housing is available in Dutch Harbor during the season at no cost to the employee with the ADF&G office, local amenities, and several hiking trails all within walking distance.

The working environment you can expect:
The position primarily works out of the Dutch Harbor ADF&G office in a professional setting that is open to the public, with frequent trips to local seafood processing facilities to sample commercial shellfish/groundfish deliveries. This position may also be required to travel to the remote ports of Akutan, King Cove, and Saint Paul Island for several weeks at a time to sample deliveries during the fishing season. This is a fulltime permanent seasonal 8-month position.  Housing, in the form of a bunkhouse with shared rooms (Dutch Harbor and St. Paul) or in processor housing (Akutan and King Cove), is provided for the position incumbent only. This position involves physically demanding work often in inclement weather. This position requires the ability to effectively interact and communicate with commercial fishermen, seafood processing staff, and the general public. 

Who we are looking for:

• Familiarity and experience working with fisheries.
• Experience working in the field, collecting data, data entry, and data QA/QC.
• Experience using computers, software applications, and databases for data entry and to accomplish daily work.
• Ability to work effectively both as part of a team in an office setting, and in a remote location without direct supervision.
• Ability to independently work a flexible schedule which includes working nights and weekends, which may require overtime.

 
Special Note:

• A valid driver's license is required.
• This position may be in possession of, or have access to, firearms/ammunition.
• Applicants must be capable of obtaining CPR and Emergency First Aid certification upon hiring.