Aquaculturist: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Workers in the aquatic industry such as the fish farmers, fish culturists, or mariculturists are collectively known as aquaculturists. As aquaculturists they raise and take care of aquatic animals and plants such as fishes, shellfishes, other aquatic plants such as edible weeds, under a certain controled condition, mostly for human consumption and commercial sale, or profiting. Aquaculturists history can be traced back even in the ancient times when fish culturing began around at least 1000 B.C., specifically in China and Egypt.This led to the introduction of goldfish and the famous ornamental-carp breeding in Japan.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
Majority of the jobs in the field of aquaculture necessitates a bachelor's degree. As earl as high school, preparatory subjects can be taken such as courses in niology, and other related sciences, such as aquaculture and marine sciences. The minimum requirement for a job more than the assistant or laborer level in the industry, is a bachelor's degree in Fisheries, Marine Bilology, or any related science.
Skills and Abilities
The expertise in aquatic animal and plant culturing is expected. Techinical skills involved in egg stripping and fertilization or fish or shellfish breeding, and harvesting are necessary. Critical thinking skills are also needed as they may be tasked to analyze pond or water conditions, or factors that may be affecting the number of and growth of the products. Skills in written comunication may come in handy especially in some positions like those who are in the research department. A touch of administrative skills, and marketing skills are also of advantage to the employee who wishes to go up the position heirarchy.
Duties
Basically, whenever one hears the word aquaculturists, it is automatic to his/her thinking that it pertains to someone who raises fishes for the purpose of profiting. As this is not a conservation type of endeavor for them, they definitely do not share the same goals of protecting the endangered species. The job settings for culturing aquatic flora and fauna are as follows: freshwater, slatwater or brackish water, flooded fields and rice paddies, as well as seawater.
They may be involved in fish farming, shellfish farming and aquatic flora cultures. To give an example of their tasks, in fish farming, they strip eggs from the female fish, promote fertilization by milt from the male fish. The fertilized egg will then be put to the moist hatchery trays and afterwards be placed in incubators. These will then result to fingerlings. They will constantly monitor the number and the growth of these upon placement to the pond. Feeding is one of their responsibilities as they have to make sure that vitamins and high protein diet will be given for further and faster growth. They also do quality monitoring of water, the drugs to prevent aquatic animal diseases, and maintain an optimal environment for breeding and growth of the soon to be products.
Job Outlook and Earnings
There s a very good job outlook in this industry as the demand for seafood is expected to increase by around 70% until the year 2025. The earnings for this job vary greatly. The starting salary for the entry level positions points to around 30,000 U.S. dollars per annum. Those in the managerial position in the field of aquaculture may earn around 51,000 U.S. dollars in a year.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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