Fishing for business
Sisters-in-law involved in fishery for past 26 years
If we have learned anything in the years since the feminist movement began, it is that work in the 21st century can no longer be defined by gender.
Michelle Fraser of Alder Point and her sister-in-law Marlene Popovich of George’s River have been working side by side for the past 26 years in an occupation once considered exclusive to men.
The two are buyers for a Louisbourg-based fishery company and they say their career in the fishing industry came very naturally. Both have family members that were once fishermen and others that still are, and in addition, both are married to fishermen.
“We have been around fishing boats for well over 30 years, we pretty much grew up around the wharf because a lot of our family members were in the industry. We have learned a lot about the business over the years,” said Fraser.
It was a chance encounter with a buyer from J K Marine Services more than 26 years ago that lead the duo to the position they are in today.
“We were buyers for a Northside company when we were approached by a representative from J K Marine. They knew we were buyers locally and they were looking for someone to buy for them on the Northside.” Popovich said despite the fact that at the time it would have been a position typically given to men, they took the offer to buy for the larger company because they felt they would have no problem doing the job.
It’s clear from their playful banter that the relationship between Fraser and Popovich is not all business, it is one based in true friendship. Both share a notable respect and appreciation for one another.
“We have been friends, sisterin-laws and co-workers for so long that people say we are even starting to look like each other,” Popovich jested.
Despite the fact that the work can be very physical, and require a lot of heavy lifting, the pair seems to genuinely love what they are doing. They say their fondness for the job is due in large part to the family like atmosphere that exists around them.
“We work with a lot of great people every day. We get to know the fishermen well, they come in with their catches most days smiling and joking it is contagious. You can’t help but love what you do when you are surrounded by people who are so happy,” Popovich explained.
It is an early morning for anyone working in the lobster fishing industry and it is no different for those who work on
the wharf. While waiting for the fishing boats to arrive, Fraser and Popovich begin their day preparing for the flurry of activity that awaits them. The duo are two of only a handful of women working the wharf as buyers on the island, and according to Fraser, they are more than just buyers, they are involved in the process from start to finish.
“We meet the boats at the Alder Point wharf every day, but before they start arriving we have to do a few things to get ready for the day. We make sure the bait is ready to go and we need to make sure the crates are in good shape. Once the lobsters reach the wharf, we separate and weigh them. Then we transferred them to a holding tank and later in the day they are packed and loaded for transport to Louisbourg.”
Fraser and Popovich agree that in large part, what keeps them motivated is meeting the people they meet every day.
“We sell to local customers on a regular basis and every now and then someone new drops by. We get people from literally all over the world, we don’t know how they find us in such a remote location, but they do. We like to be friendly and ask people where they are from and how they found us,” Fraser explained.
It can be a busy day on the wharf, and in addition to all of the work that needs to be done, there is plenty of conversation to go around.
“We have our regular custom-
ers and we have a lot of other people working around us who like to share stories and have a good laugh. I don’t know what it is about our little spot here, but people just seem to want to gather for a chat; it’s great, it helps pass the time and keeps us entertained,” Fraser explained.
Though Popovich and Fraser do most of the heavy lifting for a job that some might think would be best left to men, they say they have never had anyone question why they are doing what they are doing.
“There are lots of women working in the fishing industry these days, we have women coming in on the fishing boats and they are working just as hard as we are. The fact that we are women has never gotten in our way,” Fraser explained.
For certain, the work is demanding and some might say that there would come a time that the sheer physicality of what needs to be done each day could lead most to consider early retirement, but the co-workers say they don’t think they will be leaving the job anytime soon.
“I think we will know when the time comes that we can’t do the heavy lifting anymore, but now is not that time. We like what we are doing, the company we work for is great, and they allow us to work pretty much on our own,” Fraser said.
The lobster season wraps up on July 15, but for Michelle and Marlene the work continues. They will keep busy helping their fishermen husbands, Lloyd and George tie up loose ends after another successful season.