What is it like to be a woman fisherman?

I am the captain of the F/V Hello Darlin’ II, a commercial lobster boat out of Stonington, Maine. I love to talk about fishing and the industry, and I’ll talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere. When I tell someone what I do for a living inevitably the conversation always turns to, “What is it like to be a female commercial fisherman?” I don’t blame people for asking; commercial fishing is after all a male-dominated industry that romanticizes the image of the grizzled old sea salt. 

Being a woman who works on the water is a lot of things: it’s satisfying and exhilarating and nerve wracking and rewarding and frustrating and deeply gratifying. I can’t say for certain, but I imagine these are the same feelings expressed by all fishermen, regardless of their gender or fishery. I tell people that if you take care of your boat and your gear and put in your days you will do just fine. But that doesn’t typically suffice or answer their question… They don’t want to hear about what makes me the same as other fisherman, they want to know how being a woman makes things different.

The difference does not come from those with whom I share the ocean. My fellow fishermen have always treated me nearly the same as they would any other crewman or captain. I say nearly because they usually are considerate and look the other way while I pee out the scupper instead of over the rail. Throughout my fishing career I have been privy to the same pranks, encouragement, lessons, teasing and advice as other young fishermen. The pressure to do as well as the boys came from me, not from them, and I’m proud of myself and of the other women I know who have the ability to keep up with the demands of the job. What we may lack in strength, we make up in speed, and a good crew is comprised of many working parts that compliment each other. I have yet to meet a woman who was somehow less able to steer a boat, tie a knot, chart a course or set a trap based solely on her gender. Contrary to popular belief there is much, much more to a successful fishing operation than the ability to pick up heavy objects. 

Sure, there are exceptions. Fortunately the commercial fishing industry is an occupation based on respect and some of those notions may change over time. One of my favorite experiences of this nature began when I started the two year apprentice program for my Maine lobster license. An older fisherman asked me good naturedly if I was going to cook or fish? I told him I was going to do both. A few years later when I bought my first boat he gave me a huge truck load of used rope to get started with. A couple of years after that, his daughter-in-law was the photographer at my wedding. I believe I have done well to show him that women can successfully manage a fishing business and a home. I love to fish, and I also love to cook, especially when I harvested dinner myself. 

Now before you start thinking it's all sunshine and roses let me tell you where it becomes glaringly obvious that I am a female commercial fisherman: anywhere off the water or the dock. In my experience sexism is most prevalent in the institutions that surround fishing. This includes but is not limited to: the loan officer that refused a fellow captain her first boat loan although her financials were in order, and to the loan officer that shot me down as well. To every salesman who has rolled his eyes when a woman asked if his company had considered making better fitting foul weather gear for women. To the trade association that sent my husband and I our membership cards with his labeled “harvester” and mine labeled “family.” To the warden who answered my question as though I were a tourist who had never set foot on a boat. To every reporter who only wanted to talk about my gender and not about my business, and for every time someone assumed I was the crew, and not the captain, of my vessel. Some of these occurrences are honest oversight, some are cultural conditioning, others are conscientious sexism, often it’s difficult to tell them apart. Whatever the reason, in 2015 there is no place for this type of behavior in our industry. If the men and women who make up the commercial fishing industry can treat each other with mutual respect and appreciation, those who service the industry damn well ought to be able to as well. 

Genevieve McDonald

F/V Hello Darlin' II

Stonington, Maine