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fish farmer
Fish farming involves breeding shellfish and fish such as salmon and trout for the food industry. Some fish farmers rear other types of fish to stock lakes and rivers for angling purposes, or for ornamental ponds.
Freshwater fish may be kept in tanks, ponds, cages or concrete raceways. Marine fish are housed in large pens or sea cages. Shellfish are farmed in their natural marine environment.
The main areas of work in fish farming are:
- either breeding fish by hatching eggs from adult stock or buying in young fish and rearing them
- feeding fish by hand or by filling hoppers that feed them automatically. Shellfish feed naturally from the sea
- monitoring the health of fish
- grading fish or shellfish by size and moving them to bigger tanks or other holding units
- making regular checks on factors such as water temperature and oxygen content
- cleaning filters and screens that trap leaves and other debris
- treating water before releasing it back into the river
- harvesting fish when ready for sale
- selling fish to the public and/or trade customers
- maintaining buildings, equipment and fish habitats, including the cleaning of ponds and screens.
As most fish farms only have a few staff, managers usually do many of the above tasks, as well as supervising fish farm workers. They also:
- keep records and accounts
- buy fresh stock, feedstuff, equipment and materials
- are sometimes responsible for fish processing or smoking units
- ensure that their enterprise meets environmental standards and objectives agreed with local authorities and legal requirements.
Some fish farms provide facilities for fishing.
Hours and Environment
Fish farms operate seven days a week. Hours can be long and may include early mornings, evenings, weekends and emergency callouts. There may be a rota system.
Fish farms are often in isolated areas. The work is outdoors in all weather conditions. It is active work, involving heavy lifting, standing, bending and carrying.
It may be necessary to drive a vehicle to collect feed or equipment and deliver fish to local buyers, so a driving licence is often useful.
Skills and Interests
To be a fish farmer you should:
- be interested in fish and their welfare
- have a variety of practical skills eg woodwork, welding, basic plumbing
- be able to work on your own and as part of a small team
- have good health, be fit and able to cope with heavy work
- be prepared to work outdoors in all weathers
- have the ability to adapt to new technology
- be able to swim
- have business and communication skills and be highly organised.
Entry
You do not necessarily need qualifications to get into fish farming, but there are full-time courses you can take before looking for work. These are offered at colleges specialising in horticultural/agricultural courses. You may need to have had relevant experience to get on to some courses – you should check with colleges for their requirements.
As a starting point, you could do the BTEC (Edexcel) First Diploma in Fish Husbandry. For entry you are likely to need:
- GCSEs/S grades (normally at least four passes at Grade G or above, including science, mathematics and a subject testing the use of English); or
- appropriate knowledge and/or experience gained in employment; or
- relevant NVQs at level 2.
As a follow on, you can do a two year full-time BTEC National Diploma in Fish Management. You will need:
- at least four GCSEs at grades A to C, preferably including maths and science; or
- a first diploma.
In Scotland if you are between the ages of 16 and 24 you may be able to gain entry through an apprenticeship. Please see the Training section.
If you want to enter as a manager or assistant manager, you may need to do a higher education qualification. These are available at a very small number of universities and include relevant SQA HNC/HND (available in Scotland) foundation degrees and degrees.
To search for colleges and universities offering HNDs, foundation degrees and degrees see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
Please check with colleges or universities for exact entry requirements.
If you have a degree that is not related to fish farming it may be useful to take a postgraduate diploma before applying for work. A number of universities and colleges offer diploma courses lasting from nine to twelve months.
Training
Once you are in work there are a number of options for further training.
In Scotland you may be able to work towards SVQs at levels 2 and 3 in Fisheries Management.
You could do Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM) correspondence courses leading to the following qualifications:
- Certificate in Fisheries Management - provides knowledge required by supervisory water bailiffs or fisheries inspectors in the water industry, or similar positions in commercially run fisheries. It also provides a knowledge base for those interested in running their own fisheries. The course lasts for one year
- Diploma in Fisheries Management - this is at more advanced standard and provides the level of knowledge required by those employed in positions such as area fisheries managers in the water industry. The course lasts for two years, with freshwater biology, fisheries management, fishery law and fisheries administration covered in one year, and fish husbandry, fish disease, water quality and recreation and amenity in the other year.
Please contact the IFM for more details. See the Further Information section for contact details.
You can study for relevant postgraduate qualifications at some colleges and universities.
Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland
Opportunities
Although fish farms are located all over the UK they are concentrated mainly in Scotland and to a lesser extent in North Yorkshire and the south of England. Salmon sea cage farms are located in Scotland, the Shetland Isles and on the west coast of Ireland. Job opportunities are relatively scarce, with competition intense for the well-established farms.
Employers include:
- the Environment Agency
- private estates
- angling organisations
- firms that provides angling for their staff
- garden centres that specialise in aquatics.
On a large fish farm it may be possible to be promoted to supervisor or manager. It is common for staff to move between farms to gain promotion.
Self-employment is a possibility but finding a suitable location and raising capital may be difficult. Freelance work, for example acting as a consultant, vaccinating fish or providing sickness or holiday cover may also be possible.
Graduates might have opportunities to transfer to work in research, with government establishments, with feed manufacturers and in universities and colleges offering fish farming and related courses.
Annual Income
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
Starting salaries for fish farm workers are likely to be around £10,000.
Experienced workers earn between £12,500 and £17,000.
Managers earn up to £30,000.
Salaries vary according to level of responsibility, stock, location, availability of accommodation and extras provided. A salary package may include a house or caravan and use of a vehicle. Overtime and bonus payments may be offered.
Further information
West Bridgford
Nottingham
NG2 7LF
Tel: 0115 982 2317
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007
West Mains
Ingliston
EH8 8NZ
Tel: 0131 472 4080
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The information contained in our Career Profiles Database was correct at time of publishing, but since publication certain details may have changed so please use this section as a research tool and in some cases further research may be required.
Careers Database Information By Learn Direct Advice