Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Fishery Technician

🎯 Role Definition

As a Fishery Technician, you are the hands-on backbone of aquatic resource management and conservation. You'll spend your days in the field and the lab, collecting the critical biological and environmental data that underpins scientific research, informs vital fisheries management decisions, and drives habitat restoration efforts. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented and rugged individual who is passionate about the outdoors, fish, and preserving our natural aquatic ecosystems. You will be an essential team member, working alongside fishery biologists to execute complex field studies in diverse and often challenging environments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Recent Graduate (B.S. in Fisheries, Biology, Environmental Science)
Conservation Volunteer or Intern
Aquaculture or Hatchery Assistant

Advancement To:

Lead Fishery Technician
Assistant Fishery Biologist / Fish Biologist I
Hatchery Manager

Lateral Moves:

Wildlife Technician
Environmental Technician or Water Quality Specialist
Natural Resource Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct extensive field sampling of fish and other aquatic populations using a wide array of standardized techniques, including backpack and boat electrofishing, gillnetting, fyke netting, seining, and trapping.
Skillfully operate, maintain, and trailer various watercraft, such as outboard jet boats, drift boats, and rafts, often in challenging riverine and lacustrine environments and adverse weather conditions.
Collect, process, and meticulously record detailed biological data from sampled fish, including species identification, length, weight, sex, and the collection of age structures like scales, otoliths, and fin rays.
Perform fish tagging studies by expertly applying various markers such as PIT tags, acoustic/radio tags, floy tags, and jaw tags to monitor fish movement, behavior, survival, and population abundance.
Assist senior biologists in executing habitat assessment and restoration projects, which includes conducting stream surveys, classifying habitat types, and participating in the implementation of restoration actions.
Maintain, calibrate, and troubleshoot a wide range of complex scientific field equipment, including electrofishing units, water quality sondes, GPS units, and acoustic telemetry receivers, ensuring data accuracy and operational readiness.
Enter, verify, and manage large volumes of scientific data in digital databases (e.g., Microsoft Access, SQL, Excel), performing rigorous quality assurance and quality control checks to ensure data integrity.
Conduct comprehensive water quality monitoring by collecting samples and utilizing multi-parameter sondes to measure key variables like temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and turbidity.
Participate actively in fish hatchery and culture operations, including spawning, egg incubation, rearing, feeding, disease treatment, and inventory management to support stocking programs.
Safely navigate to and from remote field sites using maps, compass, and GPS technologies, often requiring hiking over difficult terrain while carrying heavy equipment.
Prepare and analyze biological samples in a laboratory setting, which may involve pressing fish scales for aging, mounting and sectioning otoliths, or performing diet analysis through stomach content identification.
Adhere to and enforce strict safety protocols and standard operating procedures, especially when working on or near water, operating machinery, handling chemicals, and working in remote locations.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis by querying databases and preparing data summaries for biologists.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by providing feedback on data collection protocols and database usability.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements, particularly in the development of new data capture applications.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team when involved in technology-related projects.
Assist with the construction, maintenance, and repair of sampling gear, such as nets, traps, and custom-built equipment, to ensure it meets project specifications.
Engage with the public, recreational anglers, and private landowners to explain the purpose of fisheries research, answer questions, and facilitate access to study sites.
Assist in the preparation of draft summary reports, data tables, and figures for technical reports, presentations, and scientific publications.
Respond to and assist with the investigation of fish kill events, including collecting fish and water samples to help determine the cause of mortality.
Perform routine maintenance on project vehicles, boats, trailers, and outboard motors to ensure they are safe and reliable for field operations.
PAL-generated content.
Organize and maintain a clean and efficient inventory of field supplies, laboratory materials, and equipment.
Assist in creel surveys and angler interviews to collect vital data on angling effort, catch rates, harvest, and angler satisfaction.
Participate in fish stocking activities, ensuring the safe transport and proper distribution of hatchery-reared fish into designated water bodies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Fish Identification: Demonstrated ability to accurately identify freshwater or saltwater fish species native to the specific region of work.
Fisheries Sampling Techniques: Proficiency in using diverse field gear, especially backpack or boat electrofishing, various netting methods, and trapping.
push-up
Motorboat Operation: Experience operating, trailering, and launching motorboats, with a strong preference for experience on rivers or in challenging conditions.
Data Collection & Management: Meticulous attention to detail in recording field data and experience with data entry and management in Microsoft Excel and/or Access.
Equipment Maintenance: Mechanical aptitude for performing basic maintenance and field repairs on vehicles, boat motors, and scientific equipment.
GPS & Navigation: Competency in using GPS units फोटोfor navigation and data collection, along with the ability to read topographic maps.
Biological Sampling: Experience in a lab or field setting collecting biological structures such as otoliths, scales, and tissue samples for genetic analysis.
Water Quality Monitoring: Familiarity with calibrating and using multi-parameter water quality meters (e.g., YSI, Hanna, Hach).

Soft Skills

Strong Work Ethic: Ability and willingness to work long, irregular hours, including early mornings, late nights, and weekends, often in inclement weather.
Teamwork & Collaboration: Proven ability to live and work cooperatively and effectively with a small team in close quarters and remote field settings.
Problem-Solving: Resourcefulness and the ability to think critically and adapt to unexpected challenges and equipment failures in the field.
Physical Fitness: Capacity to perform strenuous physical tasks, such as hiking over rough terrain, wading in strong currents, and lifting heavy objects (50+ lbs).
Attention to Detail: A commitment to precision and accuracy in all aspects of data collection, data entry, and sample processing.
Safety Consciousness: A proactive and unwavering commitment to personal and team safety in all work environments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

An Associate's degree in a relevant field combined with significant, directly-related work experience. A Bachelor's degree is often required.

Preferred Education:

A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree is highly preferred and is the standard for most permanent technician positions.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Fisheries and Wildlife Management
Aquatic Ecology or Marine Biology
Biology (with a focus on ecology, zoology, or conservation)
Environmental Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0-3 years. Many positions are seasonal and designed for recent graduates or those seeking to build field experience.

Preferred:

At least one full season of field experience working for a state, federal, tribal, or private-sector fisheries agency.
Demonstrable, hands-on experience with the specific sampling techniques and equipment listed in the job description is highly valued.
A proven record of working safely and effectively in remote and challenging field conditions.