Profession aquaculture husbandry technician

Aquaculture husbandry technicians operate in aquatic organisms' production, specialising in the husbandry of ongrowing culture processes, especially in feeding and stock management.

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Personality Type

• Enterprising / Realistic
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Rates of growth assessment

  The different methods used to evaluate the growth of most important cultivated species.

• Fish grading

  The method of how fish are graded according to their different characteristics: specification, size, quality and condition.

• Fish biology

  The study of fish, shellfish or crustacean organisms, categorized into many specialised fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origins and distribution.

• Computerised feeding systems

  The functioning of computered controlled systems that provide animal feeding.

• Aquaculture cultivation equipment

  Understand aquaculture cultivation equipment drawings and plans

• Aquaculture production planning software

  The functioning principles and usage of a software dedicated to the planning of aquculture production.

Skills

• 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.

• Carry out standard aquaculture stock health operations

  Perform activities that ensure monitoring and implementation of aquaculture health standards and health analysis of the fish population.

• Carry out maintenance of aquaculture equipment

  Maintain aquaculture equipment and identify equipment needs. Carry out routine maintenance and minor repairs as needed.

• Monitor fish mortality rates

  Monitor fish mortalities and assess possible causes.

• Measure the impact of specific aquaculture activity

  Identify and measure the biological, physico-chemical impacts of specific aquaculture farm activity on the environment. Carry out all necessary tests, including collection and processing of samples for analysis.

• Apply fish treatments

  Apply prescribed fish treatments under supervision, including assistance with vaccination immersion and injection procedures.

• Ensure cage safety requirements are followed

  Ensure that personnel comply with cage safety requirements.

• Ensure aquaculture personnel health and safety

  Make sure that health and safety procedures have been established and followed across all aquaculture facilities including cages. Ensure that personnel and general public are instructed and all work activities are carried out according to relevant health and safety regulations.

• Monitor water quality

  Measure water quality: temperature, oxygen, salinity, pH, N2, NO2,NH4, CO2, turbidity, chlorophyll. Monitor microbiological water quality.

• Control aquatic production environment

  Assess the impact of biological conditions such as algae and fouling organisms by managing water intakes, catchments and oxygen use.

• Apply standard feeding and nutrition protocols

  Make up feed on-site. Feed animals by hand or with feeding machines according to agreed protocols. Monitor animal feeding behaviour.

• Preserve fish samples for diagnosis

  Collect and preserve larval, fish and mollusc samples or lesions for diagnosis by fish disease specialists.

• Inspect aquaculture equipment

  Inspect aquaculture harvesting tools and machinery to ensure that they work properly.

• Use aquaculture heavy equipment

  Perform manual operations such as manually lift, transfer position and set down a load. Operate lifting gear such as winch, sea crane, telescopic loader, and forklift.

• Identify risks in aquaculture facilities

  Identify the hazards and evaluate the risks to health and safety in aquaculture facilities.

• Swim

  Move through water by means of the limbs.

• Assist with vaccination procedures

  Assist skilled professional with immersions and injection vaccination procedures.

• Identity aquaculture species

  Identity major European farmed fish, shellfish and crustacean species.

• Maintain technical equipment

  Maintain an inventory of cultivation equipment and supplies. Order additional materials as needed.

• Operate small craft

  Operate small craft used for transport and feeding.

• Calculate aquatic resources growth rate

  Calculate and forecast growth rates. Monitor and assess growth and biomass taking mortality into account, based on the different methods of growth assessment.

• Implement fin fish feeding regimes

  Implement daily fin fish feeding regimes to take account of environmental variations. Check feeding regimes are followed through the accurate implementation of feeding procedures. Implement adjustments to feeding regimes to take account of fluctuations in production performance and variations in environmental conditions. Control specialist feeding regimes to support specified production requirements. Investigate changes in feeding behaviour to determine cause and required corrective action.

• Rear food fish

  Spawn and rear food fish or exotic fish for commercial use.

• Prepare for small craft operation

  Prepare for personnel operation of small craft, both with licence and without licence.

• Control fish diseases

  Identify the symptoms of fish diseases. Apply appropriate measures to treat or eliminate diagnosed conditions.

• Carry out preparations for fish disease specialist

  Prepare environment and equipment for fish disease specialist treatments, including vaccination treatments.

• Monitor feeding behaviour

  Monitor feeding behaviour of farm animals. Collect information on the growth of the animals, and forecast future growth. Monitor and assess biomass taking mortality into account.

• Ensure compliance with aquaculture standards

  Ensure that operations comply with standards for sustainable aquaculture.

• Monitor feeding systems

  Make sure that feeders, feeding system and monitoring instruments are working. Analyse feedback from the instruments.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB