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Fish and Game Warden

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AVG. SALARY

$45,770

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EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Decreasing

Interviews

Insider Info

Richard Severtson has dealt with members of a dangerous crime family. He has been at the center of international intrigue. He's been shot at, punched, shoved and kicked. He's fully capable of striking back.

If you guessed that he is part of an elite group of enforcement agents, you're right. But did you guess this elite group is part of the National Marine Fisheries Service?

If you think that working as a federal fisheries officer means tranquil days on the water, think again.

Not only do federal fisheries enforcement agents protect and conserve the nation's marine resources, they often deal with the worst kind of felons: smugglers, conspirators and even murderers.

"Our job is said to be eight times more dangerous than that of a uniformed New York City police officer," says Severtson.

Indeed, Severtson has rubbed shoulders with the infamous Gambini crime family. While working undercover, he was once offered $5,000 to break someone's legs.

He spent time in the Far East, working under an alias and using a phony passport as part of a covert operation that could have had dire consequences. Although endorsed by the agency, Severtson was told by his bosses that should his cover be blown, he would be on his own.

Despite all these dangers, Severtson, who works out of Seattle, has never had a day of regret about his work. "It has been the most exciting job and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. I have looked forward to getting up and going to work every day."

Severtson says he grew up wanting to be a fish and wildlife officer. But he got his start in enforcement as a Green Beret and then as an Oregon state police officer. He finally went to work for the state fish and wildlife service and found happiness. "I couldn't believe they actually paid me money to do something I loved."

When he jumped to the federal level, the scope and complexity of the work changed dramatically. "As a federal agent, I have watched someone write out a check for $48 million to buy illegal fish and wildlife! As a state officer, I got excited when I caught somebody buying an illegal trout for five bucks!"

Severtson has received medals for his efforts, but it is the difference that he and his fellow agents have made that is the most rewarding. For example, their work has brought an end to high-seas gill netting, which for years was responsible for the senseless deaths of whales, dolphins and turtles. "That fleet does not exist anymore because of us," he says proudly.

Fisheries officer Herb Redekopp says it's the diversity of his work that he loves the most. One day, he may be watching a summer sunset from a boat skimming across the open water. The next, Redekopp might be the only person between an angry mob of commercial fishermen and a band of native fishers. "It's an excellent job. You never know what you're going to be doing the next day," he says.

From shrouds of fog to blowing gales, Judy Dwyer has survived some very nasty weather patrolling the waters off the Grand Banks. She's also weathered international disputes over fishing rights and quotas.

"There's lots to do," she says. "And you're not tied to an office every day."

Redekopp is charged with protecting salmon stocks and enforcing shellfish closures. His job has more to do with managing people than fish. "We're managing conflicts that arise when different user groups battle over who gets how much of the resource."

For example, a court decision sparked a protest outside Redekopp's office. The court ruled that two area native bands didn't have an aboriginal right to sell fish. That ruling didn't automatically change laws that give those bands the opportunity to catch and sell fish -- laws Redekopp's office is committed to uphold.

Non-native fishermen felt Redekopp's office was siding with natives. There were tons of cameras and reporters outside the office covering the protest and asking for comment. "We couldn't really comment," Redekopp confides. "We enforce fishing equally."

Dwyer's duties often involve a crisis of international proportions -- for example, the "turbot war" of 1995. Overfishing has been a big problem on the Grand Banks. Cod has all but disappeared, and in 1995 it looked like the turbot stocks were next.

Some countries were refusing to stay within quotas established by the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization. The problem came to a head when Redekopp's office arrested and towed a Spanish boat called the Estai. "That was our unit that was involved," says Dwyer.

A search of the boat found a hidden hold full of turbot, two sets of fishing logs and a net with an illegally small mesh and liner. The seizure forced negotiators to sit down and talk about enforceable quotas.

They reached a decision that observers would be posted on every vessel fishing the Grand Banks. "Everyone in this unit is very happy," says Dwyer. "It was very rewarding for all the officers involved." The agreement ended months of frustration for fisheries officers, who were watching fishing numbers decline and couldn't do anything about it.

Dwyer is particularly happy to see foreign ships forced to use observers. Observers work on contract to her office, reporting the size of catches and ensuring proper fishing gear is used. Before she joined the office five years ago, Dwyer worked as a fishery observer. "It's very difficult to be overfishing if you have people recording details of every catch."

Redekopp was hired after graduating from a two-year program in resource management. His job has evolved over the last five years. "We used to be a lot more involved in fisheries management. Now we're almost exclusively enforcement."

The change means Redekopp no longer walks by streams and counts fish to submit data. That work is done by technicians or biologists. Redekopp gets to concentrate on enforcement.

"It's an exciting job. The general public really appreciates the natural resource. People enjoy fishing, and it's a good feeling to be able to protect that special commodity."

Contact

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  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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