Economic Study of the Boston Large-Trawler Labor Force

This study focuses on the fishing manpower resource in Boston, Mass., one of the major U.S. fishing ports. Its purpose is to evaluate the fishing labor resource in terms of current and future requirements. Under the assumption that many labor problems are as a rule not purely economic, elements of both the social and economic characteristics of commercial fishermen were investigated. Most of the information for the study was acquired through personal interviews with crewmen who fished aboard large-offshore-trawler vessels of the Boston fleet in 1964. Data were obtained pertaining to age, place of birth, education, scope of work experience in both fishing and nonfishing jobs, and employment and earnings experience during 1964. Information was also collected from records on file at the Atlantic Fishermen's Union in Boston.