Fish farmer
Fish farmers breed and look after fish and shellfish in small teams.
What you'll do
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.
Career path and progression
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.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
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
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Restrictions and Requirements
You may need a driving licence to travel to work, collect feed and equipment and deliver to local buyers.
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- applying directly
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
More Information
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.
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.
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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