JOB POSTING: Skipper Otto’s Community Supported Fishery - Volunteer and Logistics Coordinator

CONTRACT: 30 hours/week for 36 weeks, May 31 to September  1 (scheduling flexible)

CLOSING DATE: April 30, 2013 5:00pm

COMPENSATION: $13.50/ hour

Skipper Otto’s Community Supported Fishery (CSF) is a small, sustainably run family business that values and promotes quality seafood from small-scale, independent fishermen. We are based in Vancouver but our fishermen fish the waters of the west coast of Vancouver Island north to the Alaskan border. By supporting and buying from the independent fishermen, our CSF members participate in a fair-trade economy that helps independent food producers stay in business while benefiting from high quality seafood at lower prices.  Our fish are caught by our family salmon gillnetter and by fellow fishermen whom we know and trust.

http://www.skipperotto.ca/

The Volunteer and Logistics Coordinator will be a primary point of contact and organizer for people interested in getting involved in the CSF as well as being an integral team member in our fish pickup operations throughout the season from landing of fish through to member pick-ups and farmers’ markets. The successful applicant will work collaboratively with the Director and the Operations manager and gain valuable knowledge in the operations and logistics required to run a successful community supported organization. The applicant will also develop, coordinate and promote volunteer events and opportunities. 

Responsibilities:

• Mobilizing fish delivery pickup points
• Assisting in logistics of transporting fish from fishermen to members and markets
• Organizing, attending and creatively promoting Skipper Otto’s at community events
• Mobilizing and coordinating existing volunteers for events and farmers markets
• Recruiting new volunteers for farmers market days and promoting the CSF model
• Assist in formalizing volunteer program and facilitate meaningful volunteer experiences
• Helping maintain member records and aiding with emails and social media updates
• Communications (website, newsletter)

Required Skills and Experience:

• Timely, reliable and responsible
• Self-motivated and independent problem solver
• Strong interpersonal, communication and social media skills
• Current valid drivers’ license and comfort in driving a variety of vehicles
• PLEASE NOTE: because this position is funded in part by a Government of BC Get Youth Working grant, the successful applicant must
• be between the ages of 15-29
• be currently unemployed
• not have applied for Employment Insurance in the past 12 months
• not have collected Employment Insurance in the past 3 years
• not have collected Employment Insurance on a parental claim in the past 5 years
• not be a full-time student

Other Desirable Assets:

• Familiarity with sustainable fisheries and food systems issues
• Skills and knowledge around volunteer management
• Experience around Farmers` Markets
• Flexible schedule (evening and weekend work) and access to home office
• Access to a vehicle (mileage will be compensated)
• Fundraising experience
• Experience driving larger vehicles, towing trailers, operating forklifts
• Experience working with boats and fishing,

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter and resume with two references. All applications must be received by 5:00 pm on April 30th, 2013. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Please submit enquiries and applications to:

Hard Copies:

Sonia Strobel

Director, Skipper Otto’s Community Supported Fishery

5338 Main Street,

Vancouver, BC, V5W 2R7

Digital Copies:

Sonia Strobel

c/o Melissa Evanson

melissa@skipperotto.ca

Thank you for your interest in this position. Only those applicants that are selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.

If you haven`t already seen it, you may want to watch biologist Alexandra Morton`s new documentary film on the decline of BC`s wild salmon stocks and her research and investigation into the role of `a dangerous European salmon viruses associated with salmon farming world-wide."  http://salmonconfidential.ca/

We are making plans for our annual prairie road trip with Season Send-off Parties in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, and Calgary.  Mark your calendars for roughly May 16 - 28th.  This is an opportunity for our prairie members to say hello to their fishermen (Shaun and Otto) in person, enjoy a salmon BBQ on us, purchase extra fish from our remaining inventory, sign up in person and bring friends and family members who may be interested in our CSF.  We'll be in touch again soon with final details but if you are interested in helping out with planning, spreading the word, and even hosting, please drop us an email!  

Shaun will be heading out to Calgary roughly Aoril 16-18.  Pencil it in on your calendar if you'd like to say hello to your fisherman, sign up in person, or buy any of our remaining inventory from last year.  More details coming soon!

It sure felt like summer today in Vancouver and that made us think about our upcoming summer of Vancouver Farmers' Markets!  We've just updated the event calendar on our website so check it out and start dreaming about summer markets and fresh fish!  We look forward to seeing you at our markets and Main St, the West End, Kerrisdale, and now, also at the Trout Lake Market!

Shaun just returned from 5 hard days and nights of herring fishing as crew on one of our long-time colleague's boats.  This time of year, they are fishing for roe, all of which was pre-sold to a company, so sorry to say, nothing fresh for our members right now!  But we thought you'd like to know that the herring are in good shape this year!  After everyone had their quota, the depth sounders were still showing massive, dense schools of herring!

Last week, the conservation organization Oceana released the results of its in-depth, two-year study on “seafood fraud” in the US. What did they find? First, their DNA testing showed that ONE THIRD (that's one in three!) of the fish samples that they analyzed were mislabeled. For certain species, mislabeling rates were much higher than this average. For example, 59% of fish labeled as “tuna” was not actually tuna, while only seven of the 120 samples of red snapper purchased nationwide were actually red snapper!

This illegal mislabeling of seafood products in order to yield higher profits is not limited to the US: a 2011 Canadian study found the “imposter fish” phenomenon to be pervasive here as well, with 41% of seafood purchased from stores and restaurants in Vancouver, Toronto, Gatineau, Montreal, and Quebec found to be improperly labeled. Common cases of substitution were of red snapper with tilapia; of Pacific salmon with Atlantic salmon; and of cod with pollack, haddock, hake, and rockfish.

So, how can you find out if the seafood you're eating is truly safe, sustainable, or even a certain species? One way is to avoid buying your fish from retailers and eateries that source from conventional seafood supply chains, which tend to be very long, fragmented, and global in nature (and therefore difficult to trace). By investing in a CSF like Skipper Otto's, you can not only be confident of the type of fish you will be eating, where it was caught, and how, but you can also help to show that CSFs offer a viable model for shortening and localizing seafood supply chains in fishing communities up and down the coast.

For more information on the Oceana study, please see http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/National_Seafood_Fraud_Testing_Results_FINAL.pdf

Duncan Cameron, our halibut fisherman, has decided to try his hand at crabbing!  He has headed out to the gulf islands with his new gear and will bring back crabs for our CSF members.  Crabs will be immediately cooked and flash frozen when they are caught.  Members will have the opportunity to purchase whole crab (including the legs) or legs only.  We haven't yet set a member price as we'll have to wait and see what Duncan's costs are first.  But we are confident that member price will come in at or below market price for comparable product.  We will keep you posted about when the crabs are in, what they will cost, and when you can buy some.  In future years, if it goes well, members will be able to take crab as part of their regular csf share.

Flyer specials on sockeye abound - but where are they from? Not BC! Not Alaska! Not anywhere recognized as sustainable. Here's an example: on the front page of today's Buy-Low flyer is photo of some lovely bright sockeye salmon. The photo is cleverly placed right under the "BC Day" Headline and provincial flag to make it seem local. Everything else on the front page contains an official logo of some kind such as the "buyBC" logo or the "Canadian Beef" logo. But the fish has nothing to identify where it is from. No MSC certification, no "buyBC" logo, certainly not Oceanwise. Our BC sockeye returns are strong so far this year, why are we shipping salmon from...? FWIW my guess is Siberia! 

Otto just called with an update from the fishing grounds off the opening of the Skeena river!  

To give you an idea of his day:

- up at 3:45am to travel to the fishing grounds

- net in the water by 6am

- by 10:30am, 82 sockeye on board

- its a sunny day but the sun hasn’t burned off the low-lying fog yet

- he will be fishing until 10pm and will find out about 4pm if there will be an extension to fish again tomorrow.  Either way the fish will be on their way down to us for an early to mid-week fresh pick-up!