Aquaculture Farm Manager Interview Preparation Guide

My experience will benefit the company.

There are a number of technical and information resources available in Massachusetts and abroad. Massachusetts is fortunate to have three regional state aquaculture centers located in southeastern northeastern and western Massachusetts. In addition to staff expertise at each of the centers, the centers also house a great deal of aquaculture information.

There are five stages:

☛ Seed - The farming process begins with the collection of seed stock from existing wild stocks or from hatchery sources.

☛ Nursery - Nursery rearing of shellfish begins once the seeds have set and lasts until the juvenile shellfish are ready to be transferred to the grow-out site. Nursery rearing systems are intertidal, suspended in deep water, or built on land or floating rafts with seawater flow-through.

☛ Growout - Once seeds are at the right size, they are removed from the nursery sites, and put into socks, tubes, trays, lantern nets, or set on long lines, in bags, on tables, on the sea floor or the beach.

☛ Grading and Sorting - To ensure the highest survival and growth rates, it is essential to periodically sort and grade the stock into appropriate sizes. This must be done for oysters, clams or scallops especially during the juvenile stages.

☛ Harvest - It takes anywhere from 1½ to four years for shellfish to reach harvest size. Harvesting techniques range from hand harvesting to crew-operated harvest machines, and each species of shellfish requires different farming techniques.

Eating fish is good for your health, but there are not enough wild fish and shellfish to meet existing demand. Sustainable fishing goes hand-in-hand with fish farming. Only together can they produce enough fish to meet the demands of the growing global population without jeopardizing the long term future of our wild fish stocks.

In the EU we rely on imports for 68% of the seafood we eat. A significant proportion of which comes from fish farms. Only 10% of our consumption is farmed in the EU. Bringing more farmed fish to our plates means less pressure on wild fish stocks, less reliance on imports, and more jobs and growth in our local economies.

The broad term aquaculture refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of animals and plants in all types of water environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Aquaculture is used for producing seafood for human consumption; enhancing wild fish, shellfish, and plant stocks for harvest; restoring threatened and endangered aquatic species; rebuilding ecologically-important shellfish habitat; producing nutritional and industrial compounds; and providing fish for aquariums.

The challenges in aquaculture. The job is not like ruitine because of the daily changes with the environment. This keeps me always on toes.

In order to protect natural resources of the Commonwealth from such problems as invasive species and water pollution, aquaculture is of necessity a highly regulated activity. Permits are required to import, hold, grow and transport fish. When large quantities of water are used or discharged, permits are also required.

Yes, fish farming is very profitable

Species grown in Massachusetts include Atlantic salmon, barramundi, bluegill, rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, brown bullhead, golden shiner, hybrid striped bass, koi, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and tilapia. These species run the gamut from those native to the Commonwealth such as brook trout and Atlantic salmon to truly exotics such as the African tilapia and Australian barramundi. The reasons for culturing these species are as varied as the fish themselves: from recreational fishing to food to restoration efforts.

I have proven experience in fish farming management and human resources management. My experience and achievements can impact the company positively.