Fisheries officer
Fisheries officers are responsible for the conservation and protection of fisheries, whether freshwater or marine. They carry out surveys of aquatic life, investigate fish mortalities and study water quality.
Freshwater fisheries officers conduct field survey work, including surveys of fish stocks and technical project work. They advise members of the public and industry about sustainable fishing and promote angling as a recreational activity.
Marine (or sea) fisheries officers manage, regulate, develop and protect the fisheries and work to sustain the marine environment. This includes inspecting fishing vessels at sea and enforcing technical conservation measures for juvenile and spawning fish.
Freshwater fisheries officers tasks typically include:
Marine fisheries officers are typically involved with:
A degree in the biological sciences or land-based industries is generally a requirement for this job, and subjects of particular relevance include:
Postgraduate courses are available in areas such as aquaculture, fisheries science and marine environment/conservation. These can be an asset, but are generally not an essential requirement.
The majority of entrants to this career will have a degree and in general, it is only open to people without a degree or HND if they have significant relevant experience. If you do not have a degree or HND, you could consider building up relevant experience by working as a water bailiff or on a fish farm. Water bailiffs maintain lakes and rivers, their stocks of fish and deal with breaches of the law, especially in Scotland. They are likened to gamekeepers but for the waters, and you don’t require a degree to do the role.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
There is strong competition for jobs and so work experience is almost essential for entry to this role, such as the Environment Agency (EA) summer placement programme. Basic practical fishery experience through membership of an angling club or voluntary work on a small fishing boat can also be helpful.
It may be useful to take short-term contacts initially to build up relevant skills and experience or spend time in other jobs within the environmental or fisheries sectors until the right opening occurs.
The work can be physically demanding, and some employers may require you to pass a medical examination before taking up employment.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Training is usually on the job and you are likely to receive an induction into the role and organisation. You will initially shadow an experienced fisheries officer. Gradually, you will start to take on your own tasks and workload until you become responsible for your own area. In larger organisations, the responsibility for an area is spread across a team.
New entrants may choose to study (by distance learning) either the certificate or diploma in Fisheries Management, available through the Institute of Fisheries Management .
Marine fisheries officers (both offshore and land based) may receive training in boat handling and navigation, if they do not already possess these skills.
Ongoing training can be run internally or externally and will include areas such as developments in the relevant UK and EU legislation and health and safety.
Promotion and career development opportunities vary with employer. Many sports fisheries and fish farms are small enterprises, which can limit prospects. To gain supervisory or management experience it may be necessary to move.
Progression and career structures are fairly well defined within the public sector, but promotion can depend upon meeting performance targets. There is some room to progress into a more specialised technical role or into team leader and management roles, which may involve taking a more strategic view of fisheries issues, resources planning and people management.
It can be very helpful to be flexible in your career. Some fisheries officers move into policy development within government or into private consultancy. Another route is into further or higher education lecturing and research in colleges or universities which offer relevant courses, although these options may require relocation.
Depending on your educational background and experience, another option could be progression into fisheries science with organisations such as The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and the Scottish Fisheries Research Services (FRS).
Fisheries protection is managed by different organisations in different parts of the UK, therefore the employers also vary.
In England and Wales, the Environment Agency (EA) employs the majority of inland fisheries officers, with others in consultancies and academic research. Marine fisheries officers are employed by the 12 committees of the Association of Sea Fisheries Committees , which cover the coastline.
Northern Ireland has its Fisheries Conservancy Board, which is sponsored by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and is responsible for inland fisheries. The marine fisheries are regulated by the Foyle Fisheries Commision (Loughs Agency ) within the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland (DARDNI) .
The Fishery Protection Squadron of the Royal Navy also employ specially trained service personnel to carry out enforcement activities beyond the six nautical mile limit in English, Welsh and Northern Irish waters.
In Scotland, inland fish are looked after by 42 distict boards of The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB) and the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) , comprising land owners, estate managers and ghillies. The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) is the employer for marine fisheries officers in Scotland. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is involved with fish health when there has been a pollution incident, which mainly involve salmon and trout.
Other employing organisations include water companies, British Waterways , the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) , universities and private consultancies.
There may also be short-term openings in developing countries where fish is an important part of the population's diet. Schemes are run by volunteer programmes such as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) .
Useful employment information can be found in the industry magazines, details of which can be found on the Total Fishing website. Some trade and producer websites list vacancies and contacting employers speculatively can be productive. Recruitment agencies and jobcentres sometimes handle vacancies in relevant areas. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) holds a searchable database of recruitment agencies.
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