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Fishing

Fish farmer Green Job

Fish farmers breed and look after fish and shellfish in small teams.

Annual Salary

£18,000 to £35,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

44 to 46 variable

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota

1.8%
Future employment

There will be 1.8% more Fish farmer jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

In your day-to-day duties you could:

  • breed or buy fish in large amounts
  • feed and monitor fish health
  • grade and move fish as they grow
  • maintain buildings, equipment and habitats
  • treat used water
  • harvest and sell stock

Working environment

You could work on a farm.

Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • applying directly
College

You could take a college course to give you some of the skills and knowledge needed for the job.

Courses are usually offered by agricultural colleges and include:

  • Level 1 Certificate in Fisheries Management
  • Level 2 Diploma in Fish Husbandry
  • Level 2 Diploma in Land and Wildlife Management (Fish)

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
For more information
Volunteering and work experience

Paid or voluntary work in related areas can be useful. Examples include taking part in environment and water monitoring with river trusts, ecological surveys or being a member of a fishing club.

Direct application

You could apply to fish farms for permanent or seasonal work. There are no set qualifications required but experience is useful.

Some jobs are in remote areas of the country, so you may need access to a vehicle.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • You may need a driving licence to travel to work, collect feed and equipment and deliver to local buyers.

More information

Further information

You can find out more about working in the fisheries industry through the Institute of Fisheries Management.

You can find out more about jobs in fish farming and other farming roles at Tasty Careers and The Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture.

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You could move into areas like fisheries management, biological science or environmental research by taking a degree qualification.

On a larger farm, you could progress to supervisor or manager.

You could also start your own fish farm.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • knowledge of biology
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • business management skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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