Aquaculture technicians raise and harvest fish, shellfish, crustaceans and plants in both fresh and salt water. The marine and plant life they grow are sold for food or used to replenish wildlife stocks for recreational or commercial fishing. The majority of aquaculture farms in Canada raise salmon, trout, Arctic char, crustaceans or shellfish. New species being cultivated on a pilot basis are cod, halibut, haddock, and some species of crustaceans and marine plants. Aquaculture technicians are employed by private aquaculture operations, government fish hatcheries and experimental aquatic farms. Many own and operate their own aquaculture farms.
As an aquaculture technician, you keep the aquaculture operation running and you are the first to see and respond to any problems. You raise the eggs and young fish or other types of marine life. You are responsible for feeding the stock and determining how much food is needed. You pay careful attention to the environment in which the fish or shellfish live, adjusting it when necessary. For example, a key task is to maintain optimal water quality. You check the stock for disease and apply treatments when necessary. You also collect and record growth and production data and are involved in the harvesting for distribution.
Another part of the job is to do routine cleaning and maintenance on the facility. You install, operate, maintain and clean pumps, filters and other equipment. You clean and maintain the nets used to hold the fish in the enclosures. You may scuba dive to inspect sea farm operations. You may design and construct pens, floating stations and collector strings or fences for sea farms. If you are working in an operation that sells the fish for consumption, you also slaughter, gut and prepare the fish for market.
In the course of your career, you may become manager or owner of an aquaculture operation, supervising technicians and any others working there. Managers or owners prepare the farm's production schedule and are responsible for managing the day-to- day business of the operation. They maintain financial records and establish market strategies and inventory and quality control methods. They negotiate and oversee the buying of products for the farm's operations. They also deal with government agencies and aquaculture associations, finding out about relevant government programs and the latest information relating to aquaculture.
Aquaculture technicians are paid hourly wages and managers are paid salaries.
Aquaculture technology is more than a job, it's a way of life. You may often find yourself working seven days a week. You need to be reliable, dedicated, and enthusiastic in your approach to problems. It's the kind of work you do only if you really enjoy it and are willing to dedicate yourself to it totally. You need to have an eye for detail and the common sense to recognize what the fish need. The ability to work independently is also important. As an aquaculture technician, you are given a good deal of responsibility and much of the time you are unsupervised.
Aquaculture technicians work both indoors and outside. The work can be physically demanding and includes some lifting and carrying. It is practical work that includes biotechnology, plumbing and the operation and maintenance of fairly sophisticated equipment. It is a new field and the technology is changing fairly rapidly.
To become a manager or owner, you need good administrative skills and know how to deal with people. You also need to be a good planner since it may take two to three years before you can sell the stock you raise.
Most owners and managers or aquaculture operations have worked as technicians. Those without technical training have to work hard to catch up on what they missed.