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Effective July 1, 2026 the wage for this position increased by 3%. The wage listed in this job posting reflects the increase.

This position is open to Alaska Residents only.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries is recruiting for a Fishery Biologist 1 located in Dutch Harbor, Alaska!

This position serves as the lead dockside sampler for commercial shellfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Primary duties include collecting size frequency, average weight, and species composition data from commercial shellfish landings in several ports in the region, interviewing vessel operators to obtain catch-effort information, entering and editing large amounts of fishery data into the regional database, training new dockside samplers, and updating sampling manuals. Additionally, this position may also sample commercial groundfish deliveries and assist management biologists with various fisheries management tasks.

The Division of Commercial Fisheries strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and well-being are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s mission is to protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of the state, and manage their use and development in the best interest of the economy and the well‑being of the people of the state. The mission of the Division of Commercial Fisheries is to manage subsistence, commercial, and personal use fisheries in the interest of the economy and general well‑being of the people of the state, consistent with the sustained yield principle, and subject to allocations through public regulatory processes. The Dockside Sampling Program plays an important role in the management of the crab fisheries. This position supports data collection activities critical to informing crab fishery management decisions.

This position provides the opportunity to work both indoors and outdoors and is supported by a close‑knit team of administrative staff, technicians, and fishery biologists. Shared housing is available in Dutch Harbor during the season at no cost to the employee with the ADF&G office, local amenities, and several hiking trails all within walking distance.

The position primarily works out of the Dutch Harbor ADF&G office in a professional setting that is open to the public, with frequent trips to local seafood processing facilities to sample commercial shellfish/groundfish deliveries. This position may also be required to travel to the remote ports of Akutan, King Cove, and Saint Paul Island for several weeks at a time to sample deliveries during the fishing season. This is a full‑time permanent seasonal 8-month position.

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

• Familiarity and experience working with fisheries.
• Experience working in the field, collecting data, data entry, and data QA/QC.
• Experience using computers, software applications, and databases for data entry and to accomplish daily work.
• Ability to work effectively both as part of a team in an office setting, and in a remote location without direct supervision.
• Ability to independently work a flexible schedule which includes working nights and weekends, which may require overtime.

A valid driver’s license is required.

First Aid/CPR certification. Training provided by the department at no cost to the employee.

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, fisheries science, or natural resource management.

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college that includes or is supplemented by the following credit hours will substitute for the degree in a specific field:

• at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, aquaculture, aquatic ecology, fisheries resources, or natural resource management (excluding courses that focus on agricultural husbandry techniques, human population dynamics, or the design and manipulation of landscapes), of which 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) are upper division courses; and
• at least 12 semester hours (16 quarter hours) in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, geology, hydrology, or GIS.

"Upper division courses" means courses that are specialized, in depth and advanced. Such courses emphasize problem-solving, analytical thinking skills, and theoretical applications, with depth and rigor in a discipline's theories and methods; specialization in a particular field or profession; refinement of general education; and/or development of specific intellectual and professional skills. Upper division courses are commonly identified in college catalogs as 300 level and higher.

Some positions may require training in specialized areas such as hydroacoustics, microscopic analysis, underwater research, or fish habitat restoration or enhancement.

An individual who will complete the educational requirements and obtain the required bachelor's degree within six months may apply and be considered for a vacancy. Such applicants may be given a conditional job offer but may not be appointed until receipt of the required degree has been documented.

This position requires the use or possession of a firearm or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL 104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold this position.

"misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" is an offense that is (1) a misdemeanor under Federal or state law; and (2) has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim.

If you have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, do NOT apply for this position.