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Northeast US Ecosystem Indicator Catalog

81 NE Socio-economic and Demographic Data of Commercial Crew and Hired Captains

Last updated July 24, 2026

Description: The data set presented here covers three waves of survey questions and responses pertaining to commercial crew and hired captains’ health, well-being, satisfaction, and demographics for the entire Northeast region from 2012, 2018, and 2023/24.

Contributor(s): Kiera Morrill, Matthew Cutler

Affiliations: NEFSC

Indicator Family:

Indicator Category:

Synthesis Theme:

81.1 Introduction to Indicator

This data was collected using a mixed-methods and intercept-style approach across three waves of the survey, 2012, 2018, and 2023. The data was conducted among ports throughout the Northeast coast with survey questions focused on fishers’ health, well-being, and livelihood. Risks identified in this study reflect broader systemic challenges related to low entry numbers and the rising average age of crew known as the “graying of the fleet,” major shifts in fisheries activity, and key findings of job-related satisfaction to a participants’ Basic Needs, Self-Actualization, and Social and Psychological health. Results from this research expose the relationship of these and other related threats as they emerge alongside waterfront development, gentrification, climate change related hazards, and shifting fish populations.

81.2 Key Results and Visualizations

Results of this research express evidence for the phenomenon the “graying of the fleet” as the average age for a crew member steadily increased in age category “55 or older” over the three survey waves. Additionally, results expose a decline in entrants into the fishing sector with years in commercial fishing escalating among survey participants, suggesting less people are getting involved and those who are involved are increasing their cumulative years in this career. Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2
Participation in the Northeast’s three major fisheries fluctuates over the three waves, with the scallop fishery seeing significant decline as survey participants describe participation in “other” fisheries, which can be anything commercially viable in Northeast ports. Figure 3
Demographic data collected by these survey waves serve as a valuable snapshot of the resources and opportunities commercial fishing crew and hired captains are working with. This research reveals the majority of crew possess a high school education level or even less, as is shared in this figure. Figure 4
The results from this study are measured using a Likert-style scale to cover satisfaction of Basic Needs, Social-Psychological Needs, and Self-Actualization through survey questions. Aspects of the crews’ satisfaction on job and related variables are revealed through ranges of dissatisfaction to satisfaction with the highest level of satisfaction variable being “adventure of the job” and the lowest satisfaction level being “time away from home” and “physical fatigue of the job.” The majority of responses reflect varying degrees of moderate satisfaction among the variables. Figure 5

81.3 Implications

Managers and policy makers have a responsibility to consider the effects of management on the overall social and economic pressures faced by crew and communities. This research remains pertinent to the health and resilience of crew and captains as the fishing industry undergoes changes in species distribution, shifting health and financial resources, climate change pressure and shifts, and a decline in shoreside infrastructure. In order to adequately respond to these changes, it is vital that policymakers consider the economic disadvantages crew have faced in recent years, as well as the benefit of incorporating flexibility into future policies, which may allow crew and owner operators to more easily shift between primary fisheries or ports as necessary. Our data directly supports this need as it represents social, economic, and demographic variables of commercial fishing in the Northeast.

81.4 Indicator statistics

Spatial scale: Data was collected along fishing ports from Maine to North Carolina

Temporal scale: Data collection was implemented over three waves in 2012, 2018/19, and 2023/24

Variable definitions

81.5 Get the data

Point of contact: Kiera Morrill ()

ecodata dataset: ecodata::crew_survey

Tech Doc link: https://noaa-edab.github.io/tech-doc/crew_survey.html

81.5.1 Public Availability

Source data are publicly available.