Fisheries officer : Employers and vacancy sources

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) . 

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Government departments, e.g. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)  in England, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland (DARDNI)  and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure  in Northern Ireland.
• Nature Jobs   
• Fish Update   
• Institute of Fisheries Management   
• Fishing News   
• Fish Farmer  
• New Scientist Jobs   
• National press, particularly Guardian Jobs , Times Online  and The Daily Telegraph Jobs , and local and regional press.

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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