Nature of work
A fish farm manager is responsible for the breeding and rearing of fish for the wholesale or retail trade. Farms breed their own fish by hatching eggs from adult stock and then rearing them before selling.A fish farm manager is responsible for the breeding and rearing of fish for the wholesale or retail trade. Farms breed their own fish by hatching eggs from adult stock and then rearing them before selling.
A fish farm manager can be responsible for:
- managing fish habitats throughout the year.
- stocking health and welfare issues.
- feeding stock either manually or via automated machinery.
- maintenaning of equipment and cages.
- selling on to the public or trade customers
- calculating the feeding system, which is often done by automatic computer systems.
- monitoring the health of the fish and treating them when appropriate.
- planning breeding programmers and growing schedules to obtain maximum efficiency.
- having loyalty to environmental standards.
- ensuring the water supply is of a sufficient quality for the stock.
- being aware of different water management techniques.
- giving attention to details in order to avoid expensive fish losses.
- possessing stock skills such as fish handling, spawning, grading and harvesting.
Environment of work
Working hours are long at some times of the year and may involve regular weekend and evening duties and emergency. Work is mixed and is carried out outdoors as well as in the office managing staff, resources and using IT planning programs. A fish farm manager usually works in isolated conditions with a small team of staff. It is possible to become self-employed, but it may be difficult to find the right location and to raise the capital. Freelance work, such as acting as a consultant, vaccinating fish or providing sickness treatment may be possible but only when having a good experience. Sometimes there is occasional travel within a working day. The fish farm manager could work for a variety of different organizations, including commercial fish farms and private estates. In most cases, he/she would have to live in the country or by the sea, often in a remote area. He/she would work in an office but also outdoors in all weathers. The conditions are often wet and cold. He/she would have to wear protective clothing.Currently, the majority of fish farm managers are male.
Professional life
Many fish farms are small and the owner is doing most of the work. Others are bigger concerns as the trend is towards larger units around the world. There are more possibilities for promotion to deputy manager and then to manager who employs more staff. In larger companies, a clearly defined structure may be in place, so trainees start as general fish farm staff before progressing to more senior positions.Experience is essential for advancement but qualifications can help. There are limited chances to be a boss, as a lack of financing may affect his/her ability to expand or buy his/her own fish farm. Furthermore, there are also research opportunities at government establishments and/or feed manufacturers.
Typical starting salaries: 48000 SYP.
Getting the job
The following degree subjects are particularly relevant to the role:- Aquaculture.
- Fisheries management.
- Applied chemical and biological sciences.
- Agriculture.
- Marine sciences/oceanography.
- Biology.
- Environmental science (biological).
- Veterinary science.
- Zoology.
Skills
In fish farming, commercial duties are equally as important as the farming. Any setback in the rearing of fish can have serious financial effects; therefore, it is an advantage if he/she has skills in marketing, personnel management and accounting. Scientific knowledge is essential. Good organizational skills would also be an advantage in arranging staff with day-to-day duties. He/she must be physically fit to sustain the day-to-day manual work encountered on fish farms and be comfortable working with animals and with water.Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
- High levels of physical fitness.
- Management skills.
- Communication skills.
- Numeracy.
Sources and references
If you need any further information on what is included in this file, you can visit the following websites:- www.fishfarmer-magazine.com, an essential guide to all aquaculture news on an international level.
- www.gaalliance.org, Global Aquaculture Alliance, an international, non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture.
- www.thefishsite.com, Provides a portal for the global aquaculture and fish farming industry including news, articles, forums and recipes.
- www.cuaquaculture.org, Supports sustainable fish farming
- Arab Standard Classification of Occupations, 2008, Ed. Arab Labor Organization.
Summary
A fish farm manager supervises the breeding and rearing of fish for sport and for food. This involves seeing them through the whole process from the hatchery to harvesting. A manger also plans the work, supervise and train the staff.He/she supervise the day-to-day running of the farm, including book-keeping, organizing the sales and marketing of stock plus the ordering of new stock, materials and equipment. Much of his/her work is outdoors in all weather conditions.