Introducing: Gael Morgan, Age 34
Gael Morgan and her brother jointly run the family-owned seafood retailing shop, Johnny Morgan’s, in Market Square, Dundalk, Co. Louth. “My father started off by running a seafood stand in Market Square. The business grew and needed more space; seafood was becoming more widely available in restaurants and customers were looking for more. We made a family decision that a shop would be our next step forward, and have been open for more than six years now.”

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“A career at sea is very flexible. I could see myself working part-time in aquaculture, marine tourism and fishing, as the skills and knowledge used in each are transferable.”

Title: Deck Hand on an Aquaculture related Marine Tourism Vessel

A Deck Hand on a luxury passenger catamaran is responsible for:
· passenger safety
· Safety Announcements on board
· radio communications with the Skipper
· operating generators, electrics, batteries, water and pump facilities
· operating the passenger ramp
· observing rising/falling tides to ensure vessel has enough water to set sail/dock

Introducing: Carol Kane, Age 26
Carol works as a deck hand on the 75-foot luxury passenger catamaran, the “Connemara Lady”, which operates in a major area for aquaculture. The vessel sails down the Killary Fjord from Leenane, Co. Galway daily from April to October. This is Carol’s second season working on the boat, and she has been on it since it began sailing in April 2000. Coming from a fishing family, she always knew she wanted to work at sea. After completing her Leaving Certificate she studied nursing, but knew it was not for her. “The first day I saw the “Connemara Lady” moored on the Killary Fjord, I knew that my career on the sea would begin here. The company that runs the boat were looking for crew, as it was a start-up venture. I was interviewed by one of the vessel owners, and heard back within a week that I had the job. Because it was a new business, there were openings available at every level, and I am delighted to become a deck hand this season - a job which is not always open to females.”

Carol’s first job on the boat was as a Marine Tourism Guide. This involved providing commentary on the local salmon and rope mussel farming activities in the Fjord, which aroused her interest in aquaculture. “When the first season on the boat ended, I decided to get some formal training in aquaculture, and found a BIM course advertised in a local paper.” That course is the new Level 5 FETAC course in Aquaculture, delivered by BIM in partnership with the VTOS Centre in Rosmuc, which Carol is currently studying and enjoying very much. “I have learned so much about aquaculture, as well as many practical sea-faring skills. We covered production of salmon, turbot and artic char; I got my ‘radio ticket’, which qualifies me to use hand-held VHF; and I know how to operate emergency satellite systems. The course also covers sea survival skills, fire fighting and navigation. I can apply everything that I have learned on this course to my job on The Connemara Lady which is a real bonus.”

As deck hand on the “Connemara Lady”, Carol maintains continuous communication with the Skipper through her hand-held radio. “Its really important to communicate with the Skipper at all times. He relies on me to channel all information back to him, and to keep him appraised of everything that is happening both on-board, ashore and in the water. Passenger safety is a priority, and the entire crew plays a role in achieving this. ”

Carol highly recommends her job. “My workplace is a luxury sea bus and there’s nothing quite like starting the engines in the morning and setting sail into the sheltered fjord. The crew get on very well together - you have to on a boat, as every member counts and you can’t avoid anybody on-board. What I like most about the job is that no two days are the same. The ever-changing weather and tides bring with them new navigational and docking challenges every day. Last year, we had 25,000 visitors, 6,000 of which were children, and this year we expect even more.”

Carol has plans for further education, and hopes eventually to study for her Skippers Certificate of Competency at a BIM course in the Regional Fisheries Centre, Castletownbere, Co. Cork. She is the eldest daughter in her family, and one day would like to skipper one of her father’s trawlers, particularly during the winter when he is short crew. “A career at sea is very flexible. I could see myself working part-time in aquaculture, marine tourism and fishing, as the skills and knowledge used in each are easily transferable.”

“I recommend seafood retailing as a career that is both interesting and rewarding. It involves lots of skills, from customer relations to specialised crafts like filleting, which is wonderful to watch.”

Title: Seafood Retailer

A seafood retailer in a family business is responsible for:

· Dealing with retail and wholesale customers, i.e. hotels, restaurants, pubs
· Marketing the shop and its range of seafood products to customers
· Setting up the display counters, including whole fish, fillet fish and frozen fish
· Preparing fish -- filleting, skinning, boning -- to customer requirements
· Ensuring optimum stock quality and quantity
· Design, fit out and maintenance of the shop
· Book keeping
· Hiring staff