What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Careers in the Marine and Maritime Field
Marine Patrol Officer Scott Couture is a Marine Patrol Officer for the State of Maine. He patrols the waters of midcoast Maine and is primarily responsible for enforcing fisheries conservation law, but he has the authority to enforce all the laws of the state, even those ashore, like any other police officer. Scott began his career when he read an ad in the local newspaper; he had just returned from Bosnia as an MP in the Army Reserves. Before he joined the Army, Scott had worked as a deckhand aboard sailing ships and loved being on boats and around the water. ' ' Previous experience on boats or with law enforcement is not required to apply, but it certainly does help. After my application was accepted, I was sent to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy for 18 weeks of police training-all of Maine's law enforcement officers are required to attend this school. Next, I was off to the Marine Patrol School to learn about Marine Resource Law and small boat operations. Finally, I was assigned to a station and began real work on the water, working closely with an experienced officer for a full year before I was officially on my own. Maine has only about 40 field officers to cover more than 3,000 miles of coastline, and each officer is responsible for his/her own section or "Patrol" of the coast. Most of the people in my area make their living from the sea. The largest fishery here is lobstering, but people also make a living from clamming, scalloping, groundfishing, urchin harvesting, shrimping, worming, bait fish ing, sport guiding, and oystering. Each type of fishery has license requirements, size restrictions, catch limits, and gear restrictions that need to be enforced. I patrol my area in a police pickup truck, a 21-foot Boston Whaler, and a 47-foot fully rigged lobster boat (see photo above). Several officers will use the big boat (with a licensed captain) to haul lobster gear and patrol offshore to check on fishing activity. My job is not just about enforcing laws. We are also primary responders for search-and-rescue operations and w hale entanglements. As a member of the Maine State Police Underwater Recovery Team (we just call it "The Dive Team"), 1 go all across the state to conduct search, rescue, and recovery operations as well as evidence searches for criminal investigations. My work schedule is not 9-5, and I do not even have an office. I am a field officer, and this is a large part of what I love about it. My favorite days ar work are those when I am out on my boat alone on a warm summer day, when the seas are calm and the air is fresh and salty. I ger to m~et a lot of great people and am on a first-name basis with most of the fishermen in my area. 1hose are rhe good days, bur the coast of Maine can be very unforgiving even when the weather is good. A few summers ago, a beautiful yacht ran aground and was being thrashed on the rocks, and the couple who owned the boat had been injured, one seriously. Wirh rhe help of a ' local fisherman, I got my boar alongside through rhe breaking waves and rescued them, along with their dog, Ivy, and brought rhem to safety. You hope rhat rhese things don't happen, but it is gratifying to be able to help when it is needed. Not all my time is out on the water. A great deal of paperwork h as to be filed with every incident. Marine Patrol officers are like regular police officers, and we also have to go to court for trialsnot my favorite aspect-but it is all part of the job. I never realized how beautiful Maine is until I was able to explore its rugged coastline, wooded islands, and quiet coves with my patrol boat. Most people who have known me from childhood were very surprised when they heard that I became a • cop, bur, when I tell them about my typical day, or " better yet, when they come to work wirh me for a day, they understand that I have a pretty awesome job. ' ' -Scott Couture PAGE J I 1'1-I OTOS COURT ES Y OF SCOTT COUTURE