Name: Richard and Jean Kibblewhite

Years in industry: Richard, 19, Jean 4

Occupation: Fisher, licensed fish receiver, retailer

Vessel: Splashzone 2

Location: Masterton

When Paua diving wasn't enough to keep Richard Kibblewhite busy year round he started crayfishing. He and his wife Jean eventually bought cray quota and added wet fish to the portfolio. "We now have quota for all sorts of species,"says Rich.

His wife Jean's role as home-maker also changed three years ago we she joined her husband in the business. "We became licensed fish receivers (LFRs) so I now process Rich's fish from warehou and butterfish to groper and moki."

As LFRs, the couple also takes fish from other fishers.

Apart from providing employment for fishers, Richard has two full-time crew and three others that dive for paua and work as relief crew. The Kibblewhites also rent a 'factory', with freezing facilities, where a head filleter and a part-timer are employed. Add a full-time retail manager in charge of the fish-trucks and a part-time office lady, and you have a little counter-recession in the Wairarapa.

A day's work

Both Richard and Jean manage relatively normal working days. Rich's starts at about 5am; after a day on the water, he'll get back to land between 2 and 4pm.

"Get the fish to the factory, and we're home by about 5pm."

Jean can manage her business around her family, dropping the kids at school before heading to the "office". "My factory guys start at 8am and will have cut what I need for my restaurant orders - I supply fish all around the country. On Saturday mornings we're up early for the farmers' market, and we sell there until 12.30."

Captains of their own ship

Richard is very enthusiastic about his family affair: "We're masters of our own destiny. We love catching and retailing the fish ourselves."

"The best thing is that it completes our story," adds Jean. "Richard isn't just out there every day, slaving away. We see it from beginning to end, and we get positive feedback from customers."

"If you're starting from scratch," says Richard, "get qualifications. Get a deckhand ticket, a skipper ticket... and just keep moving up the chain until you have your own boat. You can get a lot of on-the-job training in this industry - and that's a great place to start."