Careers

Careers in Fisheries and Aquaculture

The fisheries and aquaculture industry offers considerable employment opportunities for those with the right aptitude and skills.

What are fishery and aquaculture?

Fishery is the occupation or industry of catching, processing and selling fish or shellfish. Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants, especially fish, shellfish and seaweed in natural or controlled marine or fresh water environments. Fisheries and aquaculture have always been an important source of food supply and employment in the coastal states.

The job

Aquaculturists manage the production and breeding of all varieties of marine produce for consumption and industrial use. They also handle the processing of seafood. Apart from this, they have to perform supervisory tasks like site selection, designing and construction of ponds, pond preparation, selective stocking, water quality management, growth monitoring and hazard analysis up to the stage of harvesting. Post harvest, they have to handle the management and processing of the produce. An aquaculturist may have to live in remote coastal areas. So this job isn’t necessarily for those who tend to suffer from home sickness. Today, there is a scarcity of skilled manpower for the designing, construction and management of fish farms and hatcheries. So a number of openings for aquaculturists exist in private companies and export organizations.

Eligibility

Students who have completed 10+2 with physics, chemistry and biology can study fisheries and aquaculture at the undergraduate level. To pursue an MSc in fisheries and aquaculture, you should have a BSc in biology with zoology.

Job prospects

It is not just the traditional fisherman who is being benefited by the rapidly developing aquaculture industry. People skilled in the production and breeding of fishery products are also finding ample opportunities in this sector. A student with a professional degree in this field should have no difficulty in finding jobs. You can find job with fishery farms, hatchery management, fish processing units and so on. You can also find jobs at universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and fishery departments of various states. Entrepreneurship is another option that can be considered after gaining some years’ of work experience.