A fish and seafood primary processor is responsible for cleaning, checking and preparing fish and seafoods.

As a primary processor, you’ll gain a steady hand and build exceptional coordination deboning fish and separating crustaceans with ease. The repetition of this job allows you to really hone your skills, and you’ll learn all the tips and tricks to quickly prepare seafood!

You can count on a low stress environment working as part of a larger team to collectively meet daily targets. Seafood plants are renowned for their family- like environments that are welcoming to all.

THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Almost all fish and seafood plant workers will tell you they are a close-knit group that feels like a family. You may be working on the same production line and get the opportunity to chat with your neighbours as you help achieve the daily quota!

Like most manufacturing plants with machines running, there is exposure to noise, so workers commonly use hand signals to help them communicate on the floor. You’ll be required to wear PPE such as aprons, gloves, lab coats, hair/beard nets, hearing protection, sometimes safety goggles, and steel toes boots.

Working with fresh catches means that your work environment might be wet and damp for extended periods of time. From time to time there may be strong odours at the plant which is unavoidable, but it’s not the norm, and it’s not the standard “fishy smell” that you might expect. Keeping the temperature low reduces bacteria growth and helps prevent food spoilage –keeping any smells at bay! To adjust to a chilled working environment workers typically wear something comfortable and warmer.

A seafood worker is always in motion, bending, lifting, pushing, pulling, walking and standing. You might spend many hours on your feet at various workstations or you might assist in transporting materials around the plant.

FACT: Busy season in the Canadian Fish & Seafood industry typically starts in April and ends in October depending on what product your organization processes.

PRODUCTION MANAGER SALARY

Low Range

$21k+ annually
$11 per hour

Average

$27k+ annually
$14 per hour

High Range

$35k+ annually
$18+ per hour

*Annual salary calculated by 37.5 hr work week, and by a 52 weeks per year

As with most industries, your salary or hourly wage is based on your experience and education. Being a hard worker and a productive and dependable team member also go a long way in securing a higher salary. Deboning and cleaning some fish species require a skilled hand and may be done by more senior staff receiving more pay.

There are full-time, part-time and seasonal opportunities available in this career depending on which species of fish or seafood is processed at your plant. Employers often pay significant overtime in peak seasons and offer competitive wages, bonuses and incentives as motivation. Some employers also offer an extra $1-$3 per hour for less favourable shifts.

Some perks of the job often include standard health and wellness benefits, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, paid sick days and more. Another cool perk is receiving discounts on the products!

If you live out of the region, employers may provide relocation allowances, transportation assistance/ funds, room and board coverage and other helpful supports.

Please note that the listed salary in this occupation is an estimate based on a standard calculation. Seafood workers typically have on and off seasons and may not work for periods or seasons of the year. During peak seasons, employees will work long days and get paid significant overtime which balances out the off seasons.

FISH & SEAFOOD PRIMARY PROCESSOR JOB DUTIES

Some of the job duties of a fish and seafood primary processor are:

Cutting, cleaning and trimming fish and seafood prior to packaging
Preparing and operating machinery and equipment used to process and package fish and seafood products
Removing scales and unwanted parts from fish
Cutting and separating fillets from round and flat fish
Disjointing meat from crustaceans for further processing
Grading and cleaning mollusks
Ensuring quality assurance by checking products and packaging for defects
Documenting product information, including weight, quantity, batch number, date and product name
Participate in cleaning and sanitation of the plant

FACT: Canada has the largest coastline in the world, measuring 243,042 km.

BECOMING A FISH & SEAFOOD PRIMARY PROCESSOR

Competitiveness & Availability

There’s a number of seafood products that can only be processed by hand – so employers need a huge workforce to sustain their operations and meet their production targets. This means that there is always a high demand for workers and low competition for securing a job.

There’s a lot of local competition between processing plants to attract skilled primary processors with the right attitude. You may even see more competitive benefit packages and compensation between local plants!

Rest assured, this is a reliable career and a place to call home with endless opportunities for advancement as you gain more experience.

Advancement Opportunities

Seafood plants come in all shapes and sizes- from processing onboard the ship to value added operations. This means that there’s tons of opportunity to hone your skills, to become the fastest and most efficient team member on the floor! Most primary processors learn all their skills on the job through repetition and guidance from team leaders and seasoned supervisors – so don’t worry if you haven’t got any experience.

With hard work, dedication, an eye for detail and quality, you can work your way up the ladder to become a team leader, a supervisor, quality assurance or control, or even a general manager one day. The opportunities are endless! This is an industry that really values on-the-job experience and seeks to promote from within. Getting your “foot in the door” and working up the ladder is very feasible.

Education

Many employers require a Food Safe Level 1 certification and completion of your high school diploma or equivalency. Post-secondary education is not required for this role.

Any prior experience in a fish processing environment is always valuable.

Any education in food safety, food science, processing/ manufacturing or production are also highly attractive to employers. You may want to consider some short courses in food safety and other industry-related topics, such as:

Seafood Spoilage and Food Safety
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
Quality Assurance/ Quality Control
Sanitation & Equipment Operation
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Industrial Health & Safety
Oral Communications
Job Tasking Planning & Organizational Skills
Mathematics

Most training happens on the job through shadowing and being paired with an experienced frontline worker. You’ll perfect your cutting techniques as you go!