Career In Fisheries & Aquaculture

Is your hobby fishing?…Have you ever done fishing?…Do you have interest in Aquaculture?

If you are interested in the harvesting and capturing of fish then you can choose your career in fisheries.

“The term fisheries & Aquaculture itself clear its meaning. It is related to catching of inland and marine fishes for commercial purposes. It involves aquaculture, gears, navigation, oceanography, aquarium management, breeding, processing, export and import of seafood, special products and by-products , research and related activities.”

If talking about business then, India bears seventh position in the export of fish in the world and is the fourth largest producer of fish in the world.

Fishery is the occupation or industry of catching, processing or selling fish or shellfish. Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants, especially, fish, shellfish and seaweed, in natural or controlled marine or freshwater environments.

The living of over 500 million people in developing countries depends on fisheries and aquaculture.

The occupation in fisheries is catching or rearing fish through fish farming or aquaculture.

Fishery industry involves in catching, processing, marketing and conservation of fish.

One can learn about managing and understanding fisheries in the academic education of Fisheries Science.

Career Scope

Also Check: Courses After 12th

There are numerous of career or job opportunities in government and the private sector. Aspirants can go for entrepreneurship or self-employed in their own fisheries-related business. You can see that in every state or country, the government has fisheries department in which you can apply for various posts. Aspirants can also do jobs in central government agencies like Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Fisheries Survey of India (FSI), NIO, WHO,  and many others. Degree holders can apply for research projects or can do further study. Candidates can find the number of job opportunities in institutions, banks, fishing/oceans and in foreign countries.

Courses & Programmes

There are various undergraduate and postgraduate courses available in the field of Fisheries & Aquaculture. The degree in Fisheries Science is a Science degree, you must have studied Science with Biology till class 12. Selection process for admission in various universities/colleges is either through university level exam (CUSAT 2024) or state level entrance examination. Students can also apply for ICAR 2024. After completion of B.F. Sc, candidates can apply for M.F. Sc and PhD. You can pursue the following fisheries courses on the basis of your eligibility for this course:

Bachelor’s Courses:

• Bachelor of Fisheries Science (B.F.Sc) – 4 years
• Bachelor of Science (Industrial Fish and Fisheries) – 3 years
• B.Sc. (Fisheries) – 3 years
• B.Sc. (Aquaculture) – 3 years

Master’s Courses:

• Master’s of fisheries science (M.F.Sc) – 2 years
• Master’s of Science (M.Sc) – 2 years

You can pursue M.Sc in the following specializations:

• Aquatic Biology & Fisheries
• Coastal Aquaculture and Marine
• Fishery Science and Aquaculture
• Industrial Fisheries
• Limnology and Fisheries
• Marine Biology and Fisheries

Also Check:

Science Courses After 12th

Colleges those provide academic education in fisheries:

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala
• Osmania University, Hyderabad
• Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai
• Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kerala

Admission Process

One can apply for the bachelor’s courses in fisheries after the completion of 10+2 with PCB group. To become fishery or Aquaculture graduate, you have to pass the entrance examination called Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Common Entrance Test.

For pursuing master’s courses like M.F.Sc from Central Institutes of India, you are required to clear the All India Level Common Entrance Test conducted by ICAR. Several universities also conducts their own entrance test for providing admission. Below we have listed the colleges offering UG & PG courses in Fisheries & Aquaculture

• Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
• Acharya Nagarjuna University, AP
• Vidyasagar University, West Bengal
• Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu
• Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
• Cochin University of Science and Technology, CUSAT, Kerala

Jobs & Career Scope

Lucrative job opportunities are available for fisheries graduates. After possessing degree of B.F.Sc, you can apply for the post Instructor, Research Assistant, Biochemist, Biologist, Technicians, etc.

Also, you can apply in the fisheries department of state government for the post of Inspector of Fisheries/Research Assistants, Sub-Inspector of Fisheries, Assistant Directors, Assistant Fisheries Development Officer ( AFDO ) / Fisheries Extension Officer ( FEO ) and Fisheries Development Officer(FDO).

Central agencies also recruits fisheries graduates as technical officers and assistant directors in

• Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA)
• Export Inspection Agency ( EIA)
• Coastal Aquaculture Authority of India (CAA)
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
• Fisheries Survey of India (FSI)
• National Institute of Oceanography(NIO)
• Indian National Centre for Ocean and Information Services(INCOIS), Hyderabad

In addition to this, there is also a scope of self employment in this field. After, owning degree of B.F.Sc, you can also open your own enterprise.

You will also get the opportunity to work in abroad where you can do business in the field of aquaculture, fish processing export and import. Fisheries professionals in aquaculture sectors are demanded in African countries.

In the field of fisheries, you can become an aquaculturist, farm managers, exporters, traders, breeders and modern fishermen’s, etc.

The job titles of fisheries is given below:

• Fisheries Biologist
• Fisheries Extension Officer (AEO)
• Fisheries Officer
• Fishery Manager
• Fishery technician
• Fishery Observer
• Assistant Fisheries Development Officer (AFDO)
• District Fisheries Development Officer (DFDO)

Recruiters

• Fisheries Development Board
• Food Department
• Banks
• Food Processing and Technology
• Fish Breeding Farms

Salary

Salary in this field depends upon the specialization you are chosen. The salary in the private sector may starts from Rs 2.5 – 3 Lac/Year. Salary offers in government sector is different from the private sector. Depending on education and experience, fisheries professionals can get an average pay of Rs 3 – 5 Lac/Year.

Books & Study Materials

Some of the best books for the preparation of fisheries is mentioned below:

• Basics of Fisheries Science: Aquaculture – K.C. Badapanda
• Aquaculture Technology and Environment by Ujwala Jadhav
• A textbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries – S.S. Khanna
• Integrated Aquaculture by B. Ahilan, K. Ravaneshwaran, P. Kumaravel
• Aquaculture and Fisheries – N. Arumugam
  
• A Textbook of Fishery Science and Indian Fisheries – C.B.L. Srivastava

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