Profession aquaculture hatchery manager

Aquaculture hatchery managers plan, direct, and coordinate the production in large-scale aquaculture operations to breed fish and shellfish, developing aquaculture breeding strategies using various types of spawning techniques. They control the reproduction and the early life cycle stages of cultured species. They supervise incubation, early feeding and rearing techniques of the cultured species.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Realistic
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Fish identification and classification

  The processes which allow the identification and classification of fish.

• Sanitation measures for aquaculture hatchery production

  Standards of sanitation and cleanliness essential to effective control of fungi and other parasites under intensive culture conditions.

• 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.

• Fish anatomy

  The study of the form or morphology of fish species.

• Plankton production

  The methods, characteristics and equipment used to cultivate phytoplankton, microalgae and live prey such as rotifers or Artemia with advanced techniques.

• Genetic selection programme

  The methods used to plan and carry out a genetic selection programme for selected species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and others.

• Aquaculture reproduction

  The techniques used to induce spawning, spawning on nests, stripping using appropriate techniques for specific species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and others. The environmental control of spawning, the use of hormones to induce reproduction and the broodstock recruitment by genetic selection.

• 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.

• Licences regulation

  The requirements and rules that must be compliant for a permit or licence.

• Animal welfare legislation

  The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.

Skills

• Provide on-site training in aquaculture facilities

  Provide on-site training in aquaculture facilities, through instruction and demonstration of skills. Provide, implement and supervise a training development plan.

• Inspect aquaculture equipment

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

• Make time-critical decisions

  Pursue optimal time-critical decision making within the organisation.

• Plan aquatic resources feeding regimes

  Make the appropriate operations to ensure aquatic resources for feeding regimes, taking into consideration farming constraints:set up fish feeding regimes, check animal feeding behaviour and operate computerised feed systems.

• Schedule hatchery supplies

  Schedule hatchery supplies according to priorities.

• Apply company policies

  Apply the principles and rules that govern the activities and processes of an organisation.

• Deliver aquatic products to customer specifications

  Deliver aquatic products to customer specifications, with full understanding of customer requirements.

• Control fish diseases

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

• Assess feeding behaviour of larvae

  Monitor feeding behaviour in order to decide on suitability of feed composition, weaning larvae from live prey to dry feed or pellets.

• Manage aquatic resources stock production

  Set up a farm stock production spreadsheet and feed budget (feeding, growth, biomass, mortality, FCR, harvesting). Monitor and maintain stock production.

• Write work-related reports

  Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.

• Induce spawning of cultured aquaculture species

  Induce spawning using appropriate techniques for specific cultured species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans or others. Determine sexual maturity of broodstock, using appropriate techniques as indicated for cultured species of fish, molluscs and crustaceans. Control broodstock sexual cycle. Use hormones to induce reproduction.

• Develop management plans to reduce risks in aquaculture

  Develop a management plan to reduce the risks from pests, predators and diseases. Supervise implementation of plan, especially disease prevention measures, throughout the aquaculture facility.

• Control aquatic production environment

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

• Maintain the production of juveniles at the nursery stage

  Maintain the production of juveniles at the nursery stage using advanced high density production techniques

• Manage capture broodstock operations

  Plan and conduct wild broodstock capture and quarantine wild broodstock if necessary. Monitor the collection of larvae or juveniles from environment. Control the use of appropriate techniques for the specific species i.e. fish, molluscs, crustaceans or others.

• Enforce sanitation procedures

  Ensure standards of sanitation and cleanliness essential to effective control of fungi and other parasites under intensive culture conditions. Obtain uncontaminated fish and eggs by strict sanitary procedures and avoidance of carrier fish. Supervise the isolation and identification of the agent with specific immune antiserum.

• Supervise aquaculture facilities

  Supervise aquaculture facilities and identify equipment needs. Understand aquaculture equipment drawings, plans, and design principles of different containment systems.

• 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.

• Organise labour

  Organise, allocate and coordinate members of the team. Organise production programmes and plan the production and sales. Purchase materials and equipment. Manage stocks.

• Assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations

  Measure the environmental impact of a company's aquaculture operations. Take into account factors such as quality of the sea and surface water, fish and sea plant habitats and risks regarding the quality of air, odour and noise.

• Develop aquaculture hatchery business plan

  Develop and implement an aquaculture hatchery business plan

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB