I’m intentionally posting this for our first blog post in February because our theme this month is “Feminine Advocacy” and the importance of bringing our feminine ways of thought, processes, minds, and hearts into fishing. You’ll see this theme played out each Wednesday when a new podcast episode drops, too!
The excerpt from “Fishermen’s Wives: Coping with an Extraordinary Occupation” is a beautiful reminder of how far we’ve come as women and POCFs and the wisdom we’ve gained from those before us, giving us strength and courage to take on what lies ahead.
Thank YOU for being a part of this community. Your presence is felt and valued by me and so many others in our community that you haven’t met in person. Yet your energy is felt and ripples out to each of us as we walk arm and arm through this incredible experience of being a Partner of Commercial Fisherman, feeling uplifted with the knowledge that we are not alone.
This episode is dedicated to you. It’s one of my favorites because it is so DAMN EMPOWERING.
In this episode, I read from a study done in 1978 on New England POCFs called “Fishermen’s Wives: Coping with an Extraordinary Occupation.” I wanted to share this with you because it COMPLETELY VALIDATES our existence and the service of partners of commercial fishermen worldwide!
Click here to listen on Apple.
Click here to listen on Spotify.
KEY POINTS OF EPISODE:
- How forced independence of our lifestyle benefits us in the long run.
- The key to a fisherman’s success in the industry.
- The specific reason why POCFs are so important to the industry.
Check out the email I received from a POCF and Scientist after this episode aired:
Hi, Megan. I hope this message finds you well! I am an avid listener of your POCF podcast and really enjoyed your episode this week. The book you mentioned this week, ‘Fishermen’s Wives: Coping with an Extraordinary Occupation,’ is from almost 50 years ago, but so much of it remains true!
I both enjoyed and appreciated the positive framing of this book and your subsequent episode. It delights me to see a seasoned POCF, such as yourself, taking so much pride in your work in this industry. All too often, ‘women’s work’ is undervalued in our society; this goes for the commercial fishing industry, too.
I think this might really interest you, particularly the sub-section Women’s Unrecognized and Undervalued Contributions to Fishing Families and Communities.
My boyfriend fishes out of Cordova, AK, and Bristol Bay, and we have been dating for about a year and a half. I’m an Aussie girl who has lived in Hawaii for almost a decade, so to say it has been a big learning curve for me would be a colossal understatement. To my surprise, as a feminist scholar, it has also been a learning curve for him! I show him research articles such as these, and we discuss them and talk about the implications of the gendered division of labor, women’s invisible labor, and how we will try to build out life together, keeping concepts like this at the forefront of our planning.
Anyway, I thought you might like the article if you haven’t already seen it! Please reach out if you would ever like to discuss other topics surrounding women’s labor and the commercial fishing industry or anything else POCF-related 🙂
With love and thanks, POCF Podcaster
*I reached out to see if she’d like to be a guest on the podcast to share her experience as a feminist scholar navigating the commercial fishing life. You can learn more about Danielle Hall on this episode here!
In my reply to her in December 2023, speaking of gender gaps, I mentioned that I went to the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, and there were so many DUDES at the conference. I continue….
“Much different than other male-dominated situations I’ve been in. I don’t know if it’s the sea of navy suits and collared shirts, a different business side of the marine industry, or because it’s the South (I’m a Southerner, so I speak from experience), but it’s…different.
So much so that the first day made me pause to recognize the energy shifts that occur in a space like this for myself and other women attending; it’s a combination of keeping your head down and not making eye contact for uninvited conversations but owning your space and being a strong presence that people pay attention to you when you visit a booth.
It’s its kind of wilderness. Trying to be invisible and visible at the same time.
I’ve met people who are open and helpful and others who do not acknowledge me. No brand or company is worth the time if they don’t align with your values, especially if they pay you no mind. Byeeee. On to the next…
That was a brief of day one. I’m sitting on the couch of my Airbnb in the Irish Channel, conveniently a block from one of my best friend’s houses. I plan to attend the conference, then have lunch with my friend. I’m staying through to next week so I can hunker down and gather my notes from this past year and get a new game plan together for the next…”
How did you like this topic? Are you interested in learning how to get more involved in your fishery? If so, please leave your thoughts in the comments! I’d love to know how I can better serve you. <3
Hey, POCFs – Let’s Connect!
> [Hang] with Megan on IG at @megan.waldrep
> [Chat] If you’re seeking real-time support from people who understand what you’re going through OR are curious about what’s going on in other fisheries and how they are handling it, we got you! Our lively group text chat allows you to connect immediately and anytime you need us. Sound fun? Click here to learn more about the private chat!
Feature photo by Ester Ann
