An Occupation in Transition

Abstract

This study examines certain changes taking place within the occupational world of commercial fishermen in the United States. An ethnographic description of fishing in Bristol Bay, Alaska, is provided. This fishery is regarded as an exemplar of “modern” fishing and is shown to contrast sharply with “traditional” fishing. Some of the more critical social and economic features of fishing as an occupation are translated into analytic variables for comparative purposes. Finally, some consequences of observed variations within the occupation are discussed with attention directed to the prospective future faced by fishermen.