Imagine starting your day as a fisheries specialist, diving into the diverse and engaging world of marine life management, conservation, and protection. Your morning begins with checking emails for the latest updates on regulations, research, or reports concerning local fish populations.
After sifting through your inbox, you venture into the field to gather data on fish populations and their habitats, which involves deploying sensors, collecting water samples, and observing the behaviour of fish in their natural surroundings.
Once back in the office, your focus shifts to analyzing the collected data and identifying trends or patterns that signal changes in fish populations or their environments. This analysis forms the basis for developing and implementing policies and regulations to promote sustainable fishing practices and safeguard marine ecosystems.
Your role also involves collaborating with professionals, from scientists and fishermen to policymakers, in various settings, such as attending meetings or conferences, participating in working groups, and sharing your fish biology, ecology, and management expertise.
Beyond fieldwork and research, you engage in outreach and education to advocate for responsible fishing practices and protecting marine ecosystems. Meetings with fishermen, presentations to local communities, or collaborating with schools on educational programs are all in a day's work.
Job duties vary from one position to the next, but in general, fisheries technicians are involved in the following activities:
If you are a high school student considering a career as an environmental geophysicist, you should have a keen interest in:
If you are a post-secondary student considering a career as an environmental geophysicist, the following programs are most applicable.
In most cases, the minimum education requirement to work as an environmental geophysicist is a graduate degree. Pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in fields related to environmental geophysics can enhance your expertise, career prospects, and ability to contribute to the field. These advanced degrees offer specialized knowledge and skills highly valued in both the professional and academic worlds.
In many provinces, geophysicists must obtain registration and licensure with their provincial association as a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.). The certification process for geophysicists is similar to that of engineering professions and is typically overseen by the same regulatory body.
Our Environmental Professional (EP) designation can also help you progress in your chosen environmental career.
Technical Skills
Personal and Professional Skills
Environmental employers look for professionals who can combine technical knowledge with soft skills. Watch our free webinar “Essential Not Optional: Skills Needed to Succeed in Canada’s Environmental Industry” or take our Essential Skills courses.
As key executive leaders who shape their company’s sustainability policy, CSOs work in many different types of organizations. Common employers of CSOs include:
Search for jobs on the ECO Canada Job Board.
If you are a post-secondary student seeking a CSO role in the future, consider pursuing a university degree related to:
In addition to the educational fields mentioned above, you will also need extensive management experience to become a CSO, with well-developed human resources management and leadership skills. Consider educational seminars or post-graduate studies that will hone your analytical thinking, such as:
Our Environmental Professional (EP) designation can also help you progress in your chosen environmental career.
Technical Skills
Personal and Professional Skills
Environmental employers seek professionals who combine technical knowledge with personal and professional skills. Watch our free webinar “Essential Not Optional: Skills Needed to Succeed in Canada’s Environmental Industry” or take our Essential Skills courses.
I am of Metis status and speak Cree fluently. I have lived in the north all my life and was raised in a small fishing community of Moose Lake, Manitoba. When I was a couple of years old, a hydro dam was built near our community and drastically changed the ecosystem of the area. Moose Lake was flooded and most of the families had to move to higher ground. Our lake became a reservoir and the fish population and wildlife were affected.
My grandpa and uncles had done well as commercial fishermen and trappers, but the hydro dam changed all that. Being outdoors as a child with my Grandpa and uncles helped me develop a passion for the environment. I knew that I wanted to work with natural resources and I made it happen. In 1983, I got a job as a Resource Management Assistant with Manitoba Natural Resources. I was involved in all aspects of resource management from forestry, fire suppression, trapping, fishing and enforcement.
Then in 1999, I took a leave of absence from work and enrolled in the Natural Resources Technology Program at Keewatin Community College in The Pas, Manitoba. It’s a great program. The courses are so varied and very interesting. I learned about all different aspects of natural resources. When I graduated in 2001, I accepted a position at Manitoba Conservation with the Regional Fisheries Department. I believe that often too much emphasis is placed on strictly scientific evaluations of resources.
When I’m asked to do an assessment on a lake, I go and ask the community Elders for advice on traditional fishing areas. If that’s where people are catching fish, then that’s where I should do the testing. We need more Aboriginal people in the field who have traditional values. Because I believe that traditional knowledge is so important in my profession, I plan to establish a database of the vast knowledge our Elders have about our ecosystem. This database will catalogue interviews I’ve had with Elders. Having a permanent record will preserve these Elders' wisdom for future generations. I believe that in the future, traditional knowledge will be applied more often to management decisions regarding Mother Earth.
Fisheries technicians are pivotal in conserving aquatic ecosystems, making it inherently an environmental occupation. Tasked with monitoring fish populations, assessing water quality, and implementing habitat restoration projects, these technicians directly impact the environment by ensuring the sustainability and health of aquatic life. Their work supports the balance between human activities, such as fishing and industrial development, and preserving natural habitats, crucial for biodiversity.
This occupation promotes sustainable practices that maintain fish populations at healthy levels, ensuring that fishing industries can thrive without depleting resources. Fisheries technicians also help safeguard the livelihoods of communities dependent on fishing, contributing to food security and economic stability. Socially, their environmental education and community engagement efforts raise awareness about the importance of sustainable fisheries and aquatic conservation. Fisheries technicians ensure environmental, economic, and social considerations are integrated into fisheries management strategies.
This role is a vital link between scientific research and on-the-ground conservation efforts, ensuring a sustainable interaction between people and aquatic ecosystems.
Marine geologists are classified into the following occupational grouping:
NOC Code: 21102 – Geoscientists and oceanographers
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) provides a standardized language for describing the work performed by Canadians in the labour market. It gives statisticians, labour market analysts, career counsellors, employers, and individual job seekers a consistent way to collect data and describe and understand the nature of work within different occupations.
See ECO’s Blue National Occupational Standard for a career competency profile for a marine geologist that outlines the specific skills, knowledge, and behaviours required for individuals to perform effectively in this particular role. This profile is a benchmark for training and development, ensuring consistency and quality across professions within the blue economy.
Dans un esprit de respect, de réciprocité et de vérité, nous honorons et reconnaissons Moh’kinsstis, le territoire traditionnel du Traité 7 et les pratiques orales de la confédération des Pieds-Noirs : Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, ainsi que les nations Îyâxe Nakoda et Tsuut’ina. Nous reconnaissons que ce territoire abrite la Nation métisse de l’Alberta, la région 3 au sein de la patrie historique des Métis du Nord-Ouest. Enfin, nous reconnaissons toutes les nations qui vivent, travaillent et se divertissent sur ce territoire, et qui l’honorent et le célèbrent.
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth, we acknowledge that we live, work, and gather on the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, including the Blackfoot Confederacy—comprising the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani Nations—as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina Nations.
This land, known as Moh’kinsstis in the Blackfoot language and encompassing what is now Districts 5 and 6, is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3, within the historical Northwest Métis homeland.
We recognize and honour the deep connection these Nations have to the land, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share in its stewardship.
As we continue our work, we commit to learning from Indigenous knowledge systems, uplifting Indigenous voices, and fostering relationships rooted in equity, understanding, and reconciliation.
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