Profession aquaculture hatchery worker

Aquaculture hatchery workers are active in the production of aquatic organisms in land-based hatchery processes. They assist in the process of raising organisms throughout the early stages of their life cycle and the release of organisms when necessary.

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Personality Type

Knowledge

  • Biosecurity

    Be aware of the general principles of the concept of bio-security and in particular, the disease prevention rules to be implemented in case of epidemics endangering public health.

Skills

  • Condition broodstock

    Incubate eggs until hatching. Assess quality of eggs. Inspect fish eggs. Remove dead, unviable, and off-colour eggs using a suction syringe. Produce eyed eggs. Hatch and maintain new-born larvae.

  • Monitor larval development

    Observe appearance and actions of larvae in order to detect diseases; administer correct medication dose to food and water as instructed by supervisor.

  • Feed broodstock

    Feed broodstock according to nutritional needs. This will initially include live prey such as rotifers and artemia.

  • Carry out hatchery production processes

    Collect naturally spawned fish eggs, eliminate egg adhesiveness, incubate eggs until hatching, hatch and maintain newly born larvae, monitor larvae status, carry out early feeding and rearing techniques of the cultured species.

  • Operate forklift

    Operate a forklift, a vehicle with a pronged device in front for lifting and carrying heavy loads.

  • Carry out fish transportation

    Can manually lift, transfer, position and set down a load, using lifting gears such as forklifts, winches, sea cranes and others. Can operate equipment used in the transportation of fish, shellfish, crustaceans and others, such as trucks, tractors, trailers, conveyers, etc.

  • Use water disinfection equipment

    Operate equipment for water disinfection, using different methods and techniques, such as mechanical filtration, depending on needs.

  • Inspect fish eggs

    Inspect fish eggs. Remove dead, unviable, and off-colour eggs using a suction syringe.

  • Work in shifts

    Work in rotating shifts, where the goal is to keep a service or production line running around the clock and each day of the week.

  • Maintain hatchery facilities

    Make minor repairs to hatchery facilities as required.

  • Culture aquaculture hatchery stocks

    Use appropriate implements to collect shellfish spat. Sort wild shellfish spat. Collect naturally spawned fish eggs; eliminate egg adhesiveness and incubate eggs until hatched. Handle fish and shellfish broodstock and feed according to their needs.

  • Clean off fouling

    Clean off fouling in aquaculture facilities.

  • Maintain aquaculture water quality in hatcheries

    Measure flow of water in tanks and natural freshwater bodies. Measure parameters of water quality, such as pH, temperature, oxygen, salinity, CO2, N2, NO2, NH4, turbidity, and chlorophyll.

  • Follow safety precautions in fishery operations

    Comply with policies and institutional regulations to guarantee a safe workplace for employees in fishery and aquaculture operations. Deal with potential risks and dangers by taking appropriate safety measures.

  • Operate water-heating equipment

    Operate water-heating equipment, such as electrical equipment, heat exchangers, heat pumps and solar heaters.

  • Cultivate plankton production

    Cultivate phytoplankton and microalgae. Cultivate live prey such as rotifers or Artemia with advanced techniques.

  • Follow hygienic practices in fishery operations

    Comply with the right regulations and practices for hygienically handling fishery related tasks and responsibilities in fishery operations.

  • Operate hatchery trays

    Fill hatchery trays with fertilised eggs and place trays in incubation troughs.

  • Collect fish samples for diagnosis

    Collect fish and shellfish samples for diagnosis by fish diseases specialists.

  • Identity aquaculture species

    Identity major European farmed fish, shellfish and crustacean species.

  • Operate photoreactors

    Operate photoreactors under supervision.

  • Collect broodstock

    Collect larvae or juveniles from environment, using appropriate techniques for the specific species i.e. fish, molluscs, crustaceans or new candidates for aquaculture.

  • Maintain hatchery equipment

    Make minor repairs to hatchery equipment as required.

  • Perform fish grading operations

    Gather live fish using techniques which minimise the stress caused to fish and avoid fish escapes occurring. Grade them manually or using equipment. Report on the grading operation, ensuring compliance with specifications.

Optional knowledge and skills

maintain diving equipment communicate by telephone work in a fishery team undertake continuous professional development in fishery operations maintain internal communication systems report to the team leader use oxygenation equipment perform diving interventions work in inclement conditions critique the dive with the dive team sanitation measures for aquaculture hatchery production comply with legal requirements for diving operations check diving equipment diving operation requirements work in outdoor conditions operate pumps in aquaculture facilities use different communication channels

Source: Sisyphus ODB