Defiant woman becomes China’s first female Arctic crab fisher, earns US$18,000 a month
- History-making 30-year-old works all hours on ‘prison’ ship, endures sub-zero temperatures and racial abuse
China’s first woman Arctic crab fisher, who works 12 hours a day on a “prison” ship for 130,000 yuan (US$18,000) a month, has been praised online for her resilience in the face of harsh conditions.
Liu Yifan, 30, from Guizhou province in southwestern China, left a secure job at a state-owned Chinese enterprise three years ago to join her husband in Tromsø, a port city in northern Norway.
She initially took up a hotel job but in January through the introduction of local friends, she decided to try crab fishing.
“The job allows me to wear cool uniforms, demonstrate my strength and it pays well, why wouldn’t I take it?” said Liu.
At first, she admitted being taken aback by the poor conditions and demanding work schedule.
The boat operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the job demands 12 hour shifts of its 30-strong fishing crew.
In a typical fortnight of work, they handle up to 200 tonnes of king crabs, working in a sub-zero temperatures sorting, chopping and packing.
At the end of a shift Liu said the tough conditions and strict work schedule left her battered and bruised.
