Sailing into the sunset

For decades, Alaska Sea Grant has trained people to enter the commercial fishing workforce. Now the organization will also help people take the proper steps to get out. 

Clearing the Deck: Strengthening Fisheries Workforce Transitions is a new program aimed at helping late-career fishermen make intentional decisions about retiring from the industry. It’s one of five Alaska Sea Grant programs that recently received funding through the State of Alaska’s Technical and Vocational Education Program (TVEP). 

Clearing the Deck will be led by Alaska Sea Grant fisheries workforce specialist John Williams. He said the motivation for the program stems from the particulars of Alaska’s limited-entry permit system, which can make it difficult for aspiring commercial fishermen to break into the industry. Clearing the Deck will help experienced fishermen evaluate their future business decisions with an eye toward improving pathways for new entrants into Alaska’s commercial fisheries. One aspect of that is encouraging late-career fishermen not to hold on to their permits when they’re no longer being used, and for them to try to sell the permits locally.

“We plan to talk with these longtime permit holders and help them understand that in order to have successful rural coastal communities, they need for those permits to stay as close to that community as possible,” Williams said. “We want to keep knowledge on the water by supporting intentional business transitions and mentorship between generations of fishermen.”

Williams plans to start the yearlong effort by meeting with late-career fishermen to gather information to help frame the project. Then he will hold a series of public workshops in fishing communities, and will craft online material on the subject. “We’ll expand Alaska Sea Grant’s Fishbiz page with more information about the retirement side,” he said. “Whether it be online videos of some of the workshops, or one-pagers or publications that explore creative ways to think about passing on these fishing permits to the next generation.” 

Funding for Clearing the Deck is part of nearly $400,000 in TVEP funding awarded to Alaska Sea Grant for 2026-27. TVEP funding will also support these ongoing instructional efforts:

• The Commercial Fishing Training and Apprenticeship Program teaches commercial fishing skills through a set of four tiered micro-credentials.
• The Scaled Seafood: Seafood Business Taxes and Tax Tools project offers tax planning workshops for operators of commercial seafood businesses and self-employed seafood industry workers in coastal Alaska communities.
• The Alaska Food Manufacturers Workforce Training Program and the Alaska Seafood School offer instruction in the commercial processing of Alaskan natural resources, including the Better Process Control School, the Smoked Seafood School, and courses in ammonia refrigeration, equipment operation and food safety.