Profession water-based aquaculture technician

Water-based aquaculture technicians coordinate and supervise activities on fattening aquaculture organisms in suspended systems (floating or submerged structures). They participate in extraction operations and handling organisms for commercialisation. Water-based aquaculture technicians supervise maintenance of equipment and facilities (cages, rafts, longlines, bouchot).

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Realistic

Related professions fishery

• Algae cultivator
• Aquaculture fishery worker
• Aquaculture manager
• Coastal waters fisherman
• Deep-sea fishery worker
• Diver sponge, oysters, pearls
• First line supervisor fishery workers
• Fish farm worker
• Fish farmer
• Fisheries advisor
• Fisheries manager
• Fishery or aquaculture helper
• Fishery technician
• Fishery worker, all other
• Seafood farm worker
• Seafood farmer

Knowledge

• Computerised feeding systems

  The functioning of computered controlled systems that provide animal feeding.

• Aquaculture production planning software

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

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• Carry out feeding operations

  Carry out manual feeding. Calibrate and operate automatic and computerised feeding systems.

• Preserve fish samples for diagnosis

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

• Apply fish treatments

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

• Organise shellfish depuration

  Plan and monitor the cleaning of impurities from shellfish.

• Check animal feeding behaviour

  Check animal feeding behaviour.

• Swim

  Move through water by means of the limbs.

• 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.

• Assess cage water quality

  Analyse the quality of water by monitoring the state of temperature and oxygen, among other parameters.

• Observe fish disease symptoms

  Observe and describe fish disease symptoms such as lesions.

• 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.

• Prepare for small craft operation

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

• Carry out preparations for fish disease specialist

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

• Control aquatic production environment

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

• Observe abnormal fish behaviour

  Observe, describe and monitor abnormal fish behaviour in respect of feeding, swimming, surfacing.

• Carry out maintenance of aquaculture equipment

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

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB