Fisheries Observer Career Profile
- Career Name - Fisheries Observer
- Category - Marine Conservation / Specialist
- Skills Required - Life skills 40% - Career skills 60%
- Basic School Subjects - Biology, Science, Chemistry
- Minimum Required Education - Bachelor's Degree
- Species Worked With - Wildlife (Mammals, Fish, Crustaceans, Mollusks, Reptiles)
- Kind of Interaction with Animals - Direct
Do you want to work as a Fisheries Observer?
READ: This page helps you to read about the career and the info you need to decide on whether this is indeed the career you want to follow.
RESEARCH: Learn about the skills required and minimum subjects to enter this career, as well as the places where you can study further after school.
PREPARE: If you want to plan and prepare for your career, then join the OZT Community! Members have access to tools while chatting with other students and experts from around the world. Prepare to be amazed!
CAREER MENTORS
UPDATED: 2 June 2023
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What is a Fisheries Observer?
A fisheries observer is a specialist who serves on board commercial fishing vessels, or in fish processing factories to monitor primary occurrences for analysis.
The animals they work with include fish, marine mammals (dolphins, whales etc), reptiles (sea turtles), crustaceans and mollusks.
Career Categories
The Fisheries Observer falls within the following Career Categories:
- Marine Conservation
- Specialists
What does a Fisheries Observer do?
Groups of animals a Fisheries Observer works with
What is the level of Interaction with the Animals?
- Directly - A person works directly with the animals with some form of physical contact at least once every few days
- Indirectly - The career doesn't require direct or physical contact at all.
Even though Fisheries Observers mostly observes and captures data, they will need to handle marine life from time to time.
What does a Fisheries Observer focus on?
They will focus on working on boats for sometimes months where they will observe various sets of activities and sightings (such as the composition of fish caught in a single net). The information is compiled into a report for analysis.
What are the daily tasks of a Fisheries Observer?
- Perform data collection, analysis, and reporting of fishing process
- Monitor and analyse bycatch
- Actively contribute to the development of method statements and other environmental plans
- Raise awareness on fishing methods and safety
- Complete daily observation and monitoring activities
- Compile relevant required reports
- Work with environmental teams.
In which Environment does a Fisheries Observer work in?
What are the environment and places of employment like?
Environment –
Fisheries Observers work primarily outdoors, but can spend time indoors loading data and writing reports.
Places of Employment –
Most Fisheries Observers work for fishing companies, research institutions, academia, government, NGOs
What is the Average Salary for a Fisheries Observer?
The average annual salary of Fisheries Observers is US$40,000 but will be different in other countries.
Can a Fisheries Observer be promoted?
Promotion to senior levels are available in most careers. The levels of each promotion might differ from organization to organization, but generally are the following for Observers who work for an organization:
Junior or Intern -> Senior Observers -> Head of Department, Manager or Director
What difficulties does a Fisheries Observer face?
Fisheries Observers might need to work long hours at sea in rough weather.
Future Growth and Possibilities of the Career
Jobs in this field are limited and competition is strong. Annual growth is around 7% per year.
New possibilities are opening for fisheries observers with a focus on conservation education.
Which Skills do Fisheries Observers need?
The skills required for a career as a Fisheries Observer can be divided into two very important groups. The first is the group containing life skills, which are the core skills that are necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The second group is career skills, or the specific skills required to allow a person to enter and operate effectively within a specific career. Some or maybe even all of the life skills can assist in strengthening the career skills, and they might even be the same for specific careers.
Life Skills:
- Self-awareness
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem Solving
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal relationship
Career Skills:
- animal handling
- handle instruments
- excellent physical health
- basic customer service
- computer literacy
Which Subjects must I have at School to help me prepare for this career?
Biology must be you primary focus at school, as it will help you to gain admission into University, as well as give you the basic knowledge of biological concepts.
Science and chemistry are important to gain University admission. Each University will have a different pass rate requirement.
Most universities will require a high level of mathematics.
The subjects you choose at school are important as they lay the foundation for further studies at college or university. While still at school, it’s also important to learn more about the animals you will work with, as well as gain some experience.
OZT has a list of various tertiary institutions where you can study further, after school. Each of these institutions also have their own Group page on OZT where you will find the exact subjects they require of you to have passed in school. Keep these requirements in mind, and discuss it with your school, guidance counselor and parents to ensure that you are prepared!
What will I need to Study to become a Fisheries Observer?
Minimum educational qualification
The minimum required qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree to enter the market and do basic field work.
Subject focus
Major –
It is important to study a major in one of the natural sciences, such as biology, zoology or ecology.
Short Courses –
It is important to try and complete as many short courses as possible. You might be allowed to do some of them while still in school or even while already working.
Study duration
The duration of a Bachelor’s Degrees can be up to 4 years, and another 4 years for a Doctorate. Short Courses are usually between a few weeks and a year.
Possible Career Preparation Paths
If this is your dream career that you want to pursue, then it’s important to plan the way forward.
Why is planning important?
To ensure that you understand the requirements for your career, and that you are always prepared for the next step on the road towards your dream. A Preparation Path is like your road map to where you want to be.
Possible Paths:
Possible Combined career paths
It is possible to sometimes combine two or more related careers. This normally happens when you study and practice a specific main career, but the knowledge and experience gained also help you to have a paying hobby or secondary income career.
Possible Alternatives (there are a lot more):
Training and Apprenticeship
Even though it is important to study to get into some of the animal careers, most of the skills you will need as a PSO will be acquired through practice. This means that you will learn how to perform some of the daily tasks by actually doing it a few times and learning the steps.
Join the Fisheries Observers Group in the OZT Community to learn more and even interact with the educational institutions that will help you secure your dream career!
Average level of education of those entering the career:
Licenses, Certifications, Registrations and Professional Associations
Certain animal careers require some form of legal certification to prove that you can indeed do the work, and work with the necessary equipment.
Learn more about requirements by joining the Community.
Professional Associations
Where can I study further?
All of the above information will help you understand more about the Career, including the fact that there are different paths to take to reach it. But if you are almost done with High School (Grades 11 or 12), you also need to start thinking about further studies, and WHERE you will study.
See the List of Universities, Colleges and Online Training Academies who offer courses towards zoology and biology.
Join the OZT community & career Group
Join us as a special member and learn more about becoming a Fisheries Observer.
Members of the Platform have special access to:
- Info on the best places where you can study (colleges, universities and online)
- Expertly designed advice to prepare you for the career, and links to places where you can gain valuable experience. For some career experience is necessary, otherwise you wont get the job!
- Top notch info on each of the different species you will work with
- Make friends around the world and share knowledge
- Compete and win points, badges, games, prizes and certificates. Be the best of the best, while you learn and prepare!
If you have decided on being a Fisheries Observer, please click on the JOIN GROUP button. Members will be directed to the Group, while non-members will be assisted to register first.
If this career is NOT the career for you, then you may return to the MAIN CAREER menu, and search for something different.
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