Maya Crute Jones, MSc

What’s the work that you do?

In the Antarctic I work as a Fisheries Field Scientist (Fisheries Observer). I have been on two 3-month deployments in the last 2 years to work in the krill fishing industry. My role is both regulatory and research based as I report the fishing vessel’s catch to CCAMLR, do biometric research on the krill themselves and sort through the catch to discern the extent of bycatch in the fishery. I also have reporting requirements for how the seabirds, pinnipeds and cetaceans interact with the fishery as well as labour conditions for those abroad and any sightings of IUU fishing.

What keeps you going?

I absolutely love my job and feel as though I am on the cutting edge of active marine conservation. The work I do in that job contributes to maintaining and protecting one of earths last wildernesses and I have enormous job satisfaction and pride in what I do. Working on an active fishing ship is challenging for someone who loves animals and the environment but every day I wake up and know that I am contributing to science as well as policy that not only helps the ecosystem but people onboard and around the world. I am extremely lucky.

What’s your message to the world?

My message is to be kind. Be kind in choosing what food you eat, where it comes from and how it landed on your plate. Don’t only think about the animals and the environment but also about the people all over the world who have less than us and work tirelessly to make a living for their families. Change does not come through shame and anger but through empathy and understanding. Be kind to the people around you everyday and treat the earth as a living being, not merely a vessel on which we live on.