Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 5/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Fishing & Hunting Workers:
61.6%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
High
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Low
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
N/A
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Limited data sources are available, or existing sources show notable disagreement on the outlook for this occupation.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forFishing and Hunting Workers
N/A median salary•2,800 annual openings•SOC Code: 45-3031.00
Fishing and Hunting Workers are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 3 sources.
Fishing and hunting work earns a "Mostly Resilient" label because the heart of the job — navigating rough weather, setting traps, handling animals, and making split-second judgment calls in the field — is physical, unpredictable, and genuinely hard for AI to replicate. AI tools like video-reviewing software and species-identification cameras are starting to take over the more repetitive, paperwork-style tasks, but they're designed to assist human workers, not replace them.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreThis role is mostly resilient
Fishing and hunting work earns a "Mostly Resilient" label because the heart of the job — navigating rough weather, setting traps, handling animals, and making split-second judgment calls in the field — is physical, unpredictable, and genuinely hard for AI to replicate. AI tools like video-reviewing software and species-identification cameras are starting to take over the more repetitive, paperwork-style tasks, but they're designed to assist human workers, not replace them.
Read full analysisAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Fishing & Hunting Workers
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Fishing & Hunting Workers jobs?
Right now, AI in fishing and hunting is mostly augmenting (helping) workers, not replacing them. The biggest impact is on the paperwork-style parts of the job — like counting fish and reviewing video — while the hands-on outdoor work still belongs to humans. NOAA's Technology Partnerships Office reports that an AI tool called Catchvision reviews electronic monitoring video and "saves up to 80% of the time spent reviewing EM footage" [1], but it "does not replace human oversight." Trade publication National Fisherman describes a Canadian startup, OnDeck AI, working with halibut and blackcod longliners on Vision Language Models that "learn to reason, almost like a human" [2] to identify species on deck — though the founder estimates real deployment is three to five years away.
In Alaska, the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association is using a $485,000 grant to train Archipelago's FishVue AI [3] for sablefish and halibut fleets. For hunters and trappers, Stealth Cam's 2026 trail cameras add AI-powered "false image detection" and a "Rack Alert" feature [4] that recognizes when a buck enters the frame. Anglers are getting AI help too: MPR News reports that forward-facing sonar lets anglers "spot fish, track their movement and even watch how they react to a lure" [5].
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Fishing & Hunting Workers?
Adoption is moving quickly off the boat (in monitoring offices and trail-cam apps) but slowly on the boat or in the field. Cost pressure is a big driver — rising fuel and labor prices push fleets toward AI that can shrink expensive observer programs. But many tasks — setting traps, stunning quarry, traveling by snowmobile or boat in rough weather — are physical, unpredictable, and hard to automate.
Ethics and law also slow things down: the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife explains that thermal imaging devices and drones are illegal for hunting because they violate "fair chase—a foundational principle in North American hunting ethics" [6]. The takeaway for young people considering this career: AI is becoming a useful sidekick for paperwork, scouting, and counting, but the human skills that matter most here — judgment in dangerous weather, hands-on craft, knowing animal behavior, and respecting conservation ethics — are still firmly in human hands.
Sources
Will AI replace Fishing & Hunting Workers?
No. We don't think AI will replace Fishing and Hunting Workers, though we do expect the job to change.
That view is backed by a 61.6% AI Resilience Score, and it makes sense once you look at where AI is actually landing in this field. Right now, the technology is handling the desk-side work: tools like NOAA's Catchvision save up to 80% of the time spent reviewing electronic monitoring footage, but they do not replace human oversight [1]. AI-powered sonar helps anglers track fish movement underwater [5], and trail cameras now use AI to flag specific animals in frame [4]. These are useful upgrades, not job-enders.
The core of the work stays human. Setting traps, navigating rough water, reading animal behavior, and making judgment calls in unpredictable conditions are not things AI can step into. Ethics and law reinforce this too: thermal imaging and drones are banned for hunting in some states because they violate fair chase principles [6]. That kind of values-based boundary is a real limit on automation.
The honest note of caution here is job market demand, which is weak through 2034. AI is not the main threat to this career's growth, but the field is not expanding quickly either. Going in with strong hands-on skills and some comfort with new technology is the smart play.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Fishing & Hunting Workers
The recommended articles highlight the resilience of hands-on roles in fishing and hunting careers amidst AI advancements. For instance, while AI may automate some tasks, the article from myjobvsai.com predicts that 80% of the work will still rely on human skills by 2037. Additionally, the primer on AI's role in mapping fishing vessel activity shows how technology can enhance data collection, helping workers make informed decisions. These insights suggest that students can thrive by blending traditional skills with emerging technologies in their future careers.
AI & Fishing/Hunting Workers: Impact Timeline & Risk
myjobvsai.com • 5/20/2026
By 2037, a significant 20% of tasks performed by Fishing and Hunting Workers are projected to be impacted by advanced AI and automation. Read more
Will AI Replace Fishing and Hunting Workers?
willrobotstakemyjob.com • 5/20/2026
Explore the automation risk for Fishing and Hunting Workers. See how AI could affect this career, including pay, outlook, and safer alternatives.
Primer Harnessing AI to map global fishing vessel activity
www.sciencedirect.com • 5/20/2026
by H Welch · 2024 · Cited by 19 — Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a critical tool for mapping fishing fleets, improving the quality, volume, and immediacy of data on ... Read more
AI era 'not all doom and gloom' for graduates, say analysts
www.bbc.co.uk • 3/5/2026
Divine Jacob feels AI creates extra barriers for job hunters but analysts say the use of AI is an "evolving picture".
The Resilience Of Hands-On And Experience-Based Jobs In The Age Of AI
www.forbes.com • 2/2/2025
AI is reshaping industries, but hands-on and experience-based jobs remain secure. Discover careers that thrive on human skill, creativity,...
More Career Info
Career: Fishing and Hunting Workers
They catch fish and hunt animals to provide food or materials, using gear like nets, traps, and guns, often working outdoors in various weather conditions.
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Jobs (2024)
21,900
Growth (2024-34)
-4.6%
Annual Openings
2,800
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Kill or stun trapped quarry, using clubs, poisons, guns, or drowning methods.
2
Select, bait, and set traps, and lay poison along trails, according to species, size, habits, and environs of birds or animals and reasons for trapping them.
3
Travel on foot, by vehicle, or by equipment such as boats, snowmobiles, helicopters, snowshoes, or skis to reach hunting areas.
4
Release quarry from traps or nets and transfer to cages.
5
Scrape fat, blubber, or flesh from skin sides of pelts with knives or hand scrapers.
6
Train dogs for hunting.
7
Maintain engines, fishing gear, and other on-board equipment and perform minor repairs.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
