04-Oct-2023

Four decades at DFFU

Carmen Wienberg recently celebrated her fortieth work anniversary at Deutsche Fischfang-Union (DFFU) in Cuxhaven. She joined the company on 1 August 1983. Through her work as a personnel manager at DFFU, she has been the backbone for hundreds of fishermen and other crewmembers on the company's vessels, ensuring they get home safely to their families after long trips at sea.

Carmen was only 16 years old when she joined DFFU as a trainee. Initially, she worked in various positions in different departments and then started as a full-time employee in the personnel department on 1 August 1986. There, Carmen currently serves as a personnel manager for the company. She works closely with Heiko Busse, who has also enjoyed a long career at DFFU.

As a personnel manager, Carmen manages and organises work for all crews on vessels operated and managed by DFFU. This includes all different types of travel, accommodation, and other work-related arrangements. She is in direct contact with the crews and ensures their needs are met. One of the most critical aspects of this is the crewing of the vessels and the seamless travel back and forth.

"I arrange the flights, look at all the documents and ensure they are not expired. I assist the crews with requesting renewed medical certificates. After reviewing all documentation, I inform the crews about necessary renewals and updates. Sometimes, this means assisting them in applying for valid visas if they are from countries outside the EU. We have some Ukrainian and Russian seamen. It was sometimes challenging to get them back home after the war in Ukraine started, and there was doubt if they could return for the next trip," says Carmen.

After four decades at DFFU, Carmen has extensive experience dealing with crews. "This can be demanding, but the point is, when someone is at an airport with a cancelled flight, my job is to ensure he reaches the next available flight because the vessel is waiting in the harbour. This means you must always be very flexible and get the job done. I can assure you, I have dealt with many strange situations."

The COVID-19 pandemic created a lot of challenges, and the logistics aspect of the job became even more complex with different laws and regulations between countries regarding quarantine, self-quarantine, and social distancing.

Carmen says the most significant changes she has experienced on the job during these four decades are related to an ever-growing regulatory framework. "This became even more complex after Britain left the European Union. Before Brexit, we did not have to check if our crewmembers had permission to travel to the UK. Because we knew they could travel to Germany, they could also travel through the UK; their passports were sufficient. This has all changed now because you need special passports. Brexit has created challenges for us because of the vessels registered in the UK but serviced by DFFU, for example." She also mentions different airline regulations. Many flights are cancelled, and getting the crews to the vessels on the same day is often challenging.

Keeping the crew happy is the goal

It's crucial to organise smooth travel arrangements for crewmembers because the seamen work under very demanding conditions at sea for long stretches at a time. Carmen says a critical aspect of the job is keeping the crew happy, so they want to return for the next trip. "This is our long-term commitment. We are building relationships with these crewmembers, and they and their families must have faith that we are doing everything in our power so that they can return safely and efficiently to their families after each trip. We try to limit discomfort. Normally, these crews go on 50-60-day trips and then go home for one trip. Sometimes, we have crewmembers with young children who have to attend special events or be home when the child's school vacation starts, and we try to be adjustable and organise their work based on these requests."

The Cuxhaven NC 100 is a freezer trawler operated by DFFU in Cuxhaven.

Carmen says technological advancement in society, with Facebook, Facetime, and other messaging formats, has made extended trips at sea much easier for the crews. "Longer trips are easier today because the crew can use the internet onboard the vessel, and their smartphones work at sea. This makes the trip less of a burden for the family, and a connection can be maintained at a distance. I hear this a lot. When Heiko Busse and I started, the trips were sometimes 120 days at sea. The older crews were ready for this because they knew nothing else. The younger ones had more difficulty accepting this because they had young children, etc. This led to changes, so the maximum number of days became 60. That is normally the maximum length. Longer trips than that are rare nowadays."

Even though the technology is much better and communication capabilities are more advanced, staffing the crews on the vessels is still a challenge. "Before the pandemic, we posted advertisements in newspapers, and sometimes we got some feedback regarding job prospects, but many people lost interest when they heard about the duration of the trips. Even though we have much better vessels today, with much better accommodations, the work itself can be tough. The working conditions can be challenging at sea, especially in bad weather. That is nothing new, but working under such conditions for extended periods is not for everyone."

Carmen says it's much easier to fill vacant vessel positions when the crewmembers come from a family of fishermen. "They know the business because they were brought up around it. Their father or uncle was at sea for extended periods in their youth. It's part of their family and culture. They know the salary is good. Having that background and understanding of this line of work helps."

Good captains are humble and lead by example

The personnel department at DFFU understands the importance of good captains. After the vessel has disembarked, it is up to the captain to hold the crew together, build team morale and lead by example. Carmen has dealt with many capable captains in the past, and she says it cannot be overstated how important it is to have a capable captain on board during these long fishing trips.

"My experience is that the best captains maintain regular communication with us on land when encountering challenges. This leads to better decision-making, and the captain is humble and willing to discuss different solutions. The good captains communicate a lot with the fleet managers to receive advice. The same goes for internal communication onboard the ship. They don't hide anything from the crew and discuss problems openly. It isn't easy to manage a crew that does not respect the captain. Also, morale is important. Work needs to be fun. I also want to mention the cook here. A talented cook is extremely important."

Reflecting on her forty years at the company, Carmen says that her work has not changed much besides the technological advancements. She says it has made a big difference that the company has had very good management during her tenure there, and she has been lucky with coworkers. "The atmosphere here at DFFU is excellent, and we have good leadership in the company."

"My experience is that the best captains maintain regular communication with us on land when encountering challenges."