Profession aquaculture production manager
Aquaculture production managers plan, direct and coordinate the production of fish, shellfish or other forms of aquatic life such as cash crops, in large-scale aquaculture operations to culture and harvest or for release into fresh, brackish or salt water.
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Personality Type
- Enterprising / Realistic
Knowledge
- Shellfish cultivation systems
Technical design principles of shellfish cultivation systems, such as longline, Bouchot, tressels, suspended culture, tables, bottom culture.
- 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 grading
The method of how fish are graded according to their different characteristics: specification, size, quality and condition.
- 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.
- Environmental legislation
The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.
- Fish harvesting methods
Knowledge of up-to-date fish harvesting methods.
- Design principles of containment systems
The design elements of different containment systems, such as cages, pens, nets, ponds and tanks.
- 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.
- Principles of insurance
Understand the principles of insurance, including third party liability, stock and facilities.
- Husbandry and harvesting effects on aquatic resources
Understand husbandry and harvesting effects on aquatic resources, fish, molluscs and crustaceans.
- Understand fresh water ecosystems
Understand fresh water ecosystems.
- Aquaculture production planning software
The functioning principles and usage of a software dedicated to the planning of aquculture production.
- Quality standards applicable to aquaculture products
Quality schemes, label rouge, ISO systems, HACCP procedures, bio/organic status, traceability labels.
- Escapee contingency plans
The procedures to follow in case there are escapees from cage systems.
- 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.
- Rates of growth assessment
The different methods used to evaluate the growth of most important cultivated species.
Skills
- Develop stock health programmes
Develop a health and welfare programme for those aquatic resources under cultivation, in consultation with the fish health specialist
- Supervise waste disposal
Supervise disposal of biological waste and chemical waste according to regulations.
- 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.
- Supervise waste water treatments
Supervise waste water treatment according to environmental regulations.
- Supervise aquaculture facilities
Supervise aquaculture facilities and identify equipment needs. Understand aquaculture equipment drawings, plans, and design principles of different containment systems.
- Control aquatic production environment
Assess the impact of biological conditions such as algae and fouling organisms by managing water intakes, catchments and oxygen use.
- Monitor growth rates of cultivated fish species
Monitor and assess growth rates and biomass of cultivated fish species, taking mortalities into account. Calculate and forecast growth rates. Monitor and assess mortalities.
- Manage a small-to-medium business
Manage the organisational, financial and day-to-day operation of a small-to-medium enterprise.
- Plan aquatic resources feeding regimes
Make the approapriate 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.
- Compare production forecasts with actual results
Compare production forecats with actual results. Analyse deviations. Compare financial forecasts with actual results and analyse deviations.
- 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,.
- Monitor the use of resources in production
Monitor the use of resources in production (e.g. food, oxygen, energy, water, resources etc.)
- Plan the work of teams and individuals
Plan the work of teams and individuals. Assess the work of teams and individuals. Provide feedback to teams and individuals on work carried out. Support and mentor individuals and teams. Prepare work instructions for new tasks.
- Apply company policies
Apply the principles and rules that govern the activities and processes of an organisation.
- 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.
- 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.
- Implement contingency plans for escapees
Carry out contingency plans for cage escapees. Carry out fish capture escape operations.
- Perform project management
Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
- 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.
- 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 the farm environmental management plan
Identify environmental designations and directives that relate to a given farm and incorporate their requirements in to the farm planning process. Monitor the implementation of the farm environmental management plan and review timescales.
Optional knowledge and skills
traceability in food industry organise staff assessment perform water treatments prepare documentation for international shipping implement scientific decision making in healthcare provide technical documentation set up documentation control system assess site production potential develop food safety programmes make independent operating decisions draw up marketing and sales plan plankton production organise sale of live products develop aquaculture breeding strategies develop aquaculture strategies work in outdoor conditions use different communication channels communicate in english at a competent user level collaborate with animal related professionals work in inclement conditions fish anatomy marketing principles perform market research solve operational transport problems work in shiftsCommon job titles
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- Production manager
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