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Agriculture & EnvironmentISCO 6221

Aquaculture hatchery worker

Aquaculture hatchery workers are active in the production of aquatic organisms in land-based hatchery processes. They assist in the process of raising organisms throughout the early stages of their life cycle and the release of organisms when necessary.

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Check yourself in a minute: aquaculture hatchery worker

Rate 5 of the 26 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

follow hygienic practices in fishery operations

use water disinfection equipment

clean off fouling

operate forklift

maintain aquaculture water quality in hatcheries

About aquaculture hatchery worker

As an aquaculture hatchery worker, you will play a vital role in producing the next generation of farmed fish and aquatic organisms. Your work involves managing the early life stages of aquatic species from egg development through larval growth to fingerling production. You will maintain precise environmental conditions in hatchery tanks, monitor larval development closely, perform routine maintenance and cleaning tasks, and ensure strict hygienic standards are maintained throughout all operations. Your attention to detail and dedication directly affect survival rates and the health of millions of juvenile organisms.

This position combines technical skill with biological knowledge and requires flexibility to work in shifts and varying weather conditions. You will operate specialized equipment including photoreactors, water heating systems, and forklifts while maintaining safety protocols. Hatchery work is the foundation of the aquaculture supply chain, and as Poland's aquaculture sector grows, demand for trained hatchery workers continues to increase. Career advancement opportunities include supervisory positions, specialization in specific species or breeding programs, or transition into water quality management roles.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a aquaculture hatchery worker.

1

Hatchery Production Operations

  • Perform daily hatchery production processes including egg incubation, hatching, and larval rearing
  • Carry out fish grading operations to sort organisms by size and development stage
  • Cultivate and manage plankton cultures as live food for larval rearing
  • Condition broodstock through feeding regimens and environmental manipulation to trigger spawning
2

Water Quality Management in Hatcheries

  • Maintain optimal water quality in hatchery tanks by monitoring temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen
  • Use water disinfection equipment to maintain hygienic conditions and prevent disease outbreaks
  • Perform water treatment procedures including filtration and aeration adjustments
  • Follow hygienic practices in all fishery operations to prevent contamination
3

Equipment Operation and Maintenance

  • Operate photoreactors for algae and plankton culture production
  • Operate and maintain water-heating equipment to maintain appropriate temperature in tanks
  • Operate forklift for material handling and tank movement in the hatchery facility
  • Maintain hatchery equipment through regular cleaning, inspection, and repairs
4

Larval Monitoring and Health Observation

  • Monitor larval growth rates and development stages through daily observation and measurement
  • Inspect fish eggs regularly for quality and developmental progress
  • Collect fish samples for diagnosis and disease monitoring
  • Identify and record aquaculture species and variants in production
5

Facility Cleaning and Maintenance

  • Clean off fouling and biofilm from tanks and equipment to maintain water quality
  • Maintain hatchery facilities including tank preparation, disinfection, and repairs
  • Follow safety precautions in all fishery operations to protect self and others

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (26)

follow hygienic practices in fishery operationsfollow hygienic practices in fishery operationsComply with the right regulations and practices for hygienically handling fishery related tasks and responsibilities in fishery operations.use water disinfection equipmentuse water disinfection equipmentOperate equipment for water disinfection, using different methods and techniques, such as mechanical filtration, depending on needs.clean off foulingclean off foulingClean off fouling in aquaculture facilities.operate forkliftoperate forkliftOperate a forklift, a vehicle with a pronged device in front for lifting and carrying heavy loads.maintain aquaculture water quality in hatcheriesmaintain aquaculture water quality in hatcheriesMeasure flow of water in tanks and natural freshwater bodies. Measure parameters of water quality, such as pH, temperature, oxygen, salinity, CO2, N2, NO2, NH4, turbidity, and chlorophyll.maintain hatchery equipmentmaintain hatchery equipmentMake minor repairs to hatchery equipment as required.inspect fish eggsinspect fish eggsInspect fish eggs. Remove dead, unviable, and off-colour eggs using a suction syringe.operate photoreactorsoperate photoreactorsOperate photoreactors under supervision.identity aquaculture speciesidentity aquaculture speciesIdentity major European farmed fish, shellfish and crustacean species.perform fish grading operationsperform fish grading operationsGather live fish using techniques which minimise the stress caused to fish and avoid fish escapes occurring. Grade them manually or using equipment. Report on the grading operation, ensuring complianc...work in shiftswork in shiftsWork in rotating shifts, where the goal is to keep a service or production line running around the clock and each day of the week.operate water-heating equipmentoperate water-heating equipmentOperate water-heating equipment, such as electrical equipment, heat exchangers, heat pumps and solar heaters.carry out hatchery production processescarry out hatchery production processesCollect naturally spawned fish eggs, eliminate egg adhesiveness, incubate eggs until hatching, hatch and maintain newly born larvae, monitor larvae status, carry out early feeding and rearing techniqu...collect fish samples for diagnosiscollect fish samples for diagnosisCollect fish and shellfish samples for diagnosis by fish diseases specialists.maintain hatchery facilitiesmaintain hatchery facilitiesMake minor repairs to hatchery facilities as required.feed broodstockfeed broodstockFeed broodstock according to nutritional needs. This will initially include live prey such as rotifers and artemia.collect broodstockcollect broodstockSource broodstock from fisheries and held them in maturation tanks before collecting their seeds.carry out fish transportationcarry out fish transportationCan manually lift, transfer, position and set down a load, using lifting gears such as forklifts, winches, sea cranes and others. Can operate equipment used in the transportation of fish, shellfish, c...culture aquaculture hatchery stocksculture aquaculture hatchery stocksUse appropriate implements to collect shellfish spat. Sort wild shellfish spat. Collect naturally spawned fish eggs; eliminate egg adhesiveness and incubate eggs until hatched. Handle fish and shellfi...biosecuritybiosecurityBe aware of the general principles of the concept of bio-security and in particular, the disease prevention rules to be implemented in case of epidemics endangering public health.monitor larval developmentmonitor larval developmentObserve appearance and actions of larvae in order to detect diseases; administer correct medication dose to food and water as instructed by supervisor.operate hatchery traysoperate hatchery traysFill hatchery trays with fertilised eggs and place trays in incubation troughs.cultivate planktoncultivate planktonCultivate phytoplankton and microalgae. Cultivate live prey such as rotifers or Artemia with advanced techniques.monitor larval growthmonitor larval growthMonitor the growth and health of the larvae.follow safety precautions in fishery operationsfollow safety precautions in fishery operationsComply with policies and institutional regulations to guarantee a safe workplace for employees in fishery and aquaculture operations. Deal with potential risks and dangers by taking appropriate safety...condition broodstockcondition broodstockIncubate eggs until hatching. Assess quality of eggs. Inspect fish eggs. Remove dead, unviable, and off-colour eggs using a suction syringe. Produce eyed eggs. Hatch and maintain new-born larvae.
Optional (15) — show
diving operation requirementsdiving operation requirementsThe operational plan and the contingency plan for the diving operation, the diving equipment to be used in the diving operation, the diving signals to be used in the diving operation, the in-water dec...sanitation measures for aquaculture hatchery productionsanitation measures for aquaculture hatchery productionStandards of sanitation and cleanliness essential to effective control of fungi and other parasites under intensive culture conditions.critique the dive with the dive teamcritique the dive with the dive teamAssess the dive with the dive team upon completion. Instruct the diver(s) so as to improve procedures and routines for future dives.work in outdoor conditionswork in outdoor conditionsCan cope with the different climate conditions such as heat, rain, cold or in strong wind.work in a fishery teamwork in a fishery teamWork as part of a crew or team, and meet team deadlines and responsibilities together.maintain internal communication systemsmaintain internal communication systemsMaintain an effective internal communication system among employees and department managers.use different communication channelsuse different communication channelsMake use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.operate pumps in aquaculture facilitiesoperate pumps in aquaculture facilitiesOperate pumps in aquaculture facilities, such as air lift pumps, live fish pumps, vacuum pumps, submersible pumps.perform diving interventionsperform diving interventionsPerform hyperbaric interventions at a maximum pressure of 4 atmospheres. Prepare and review the personal equipment and the auxiliary material. Perform and supervise the dive. Realise maintenance of th...comply with legal requirements for diving operationscomply with legal requirements for diving operationsEnsure that diving operations comply with legal requirements, such as age, health and swimming abilities.maintain diving equipmentmaintain diving equipmentPerform maintenance actions, including small repairs, on diving equipment.check diving equipmentcheck diving equipmentCheck diving equipment for valid certification to ensure its suitability. Ensure that any diving equipment is examined by a competent person before use, at least once on each day on which it is to be ...use oxygenation equipmentuse oxygenation equipmentOperate different water oxygenation systems according to requirements: surface aerators, paddle wheel aerators, column/cascade aerators, and pure oxygenation systems.communicate by telephonecommunicate by telephoneLiaise via telephone by making and answering calls in a timely, professional and polite manner.report to the team leaderreport to the team leaderKeep the team leader informed on current and emerging issues.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

aquaculture husbandry worker12 shared essential skillsaquaculture rearing technician10 shared essential skillsaquaculture hatchery technician8 shared essential skillsaquaculture harvesting worker6 shared essential skillsaquaculture harvesting technician4 shared essential skillswater-based aquaculture worker4 shared essential skillsaquaculture husbandry technician3 shared essential skillsaquatic animal health professional3 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does an aquaculture hatchery worker do?

Aquaculture hatchery workers are active in the production of aquatic organisms in land-based hatchery processes. They assist in the process of raising organisms throughout the early stages of their life cycle and the release of organisms when necessary.

What skills does an aquaculture hatchery worker need?

An aquaculture hatchery worker needs 26 essential skills, including follow hygienic practices in fishery operations, use water disinfection equipment, clean off fouling, operate forklift, maintain aquaculture water quality in hatcheries.

Will AI replace aquaculture hatchery worker jobs?

The AI disruption score for aquaculture hatchery worker is 29/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: communicate by telephone, use different communication channels, operate photoreactors. Most resilient: work in shifts, work in outdoor conditions, perform diving interventions.

Quick Facts

SectorAgriculture & Environment
ISCO GroupMarket-oriented skilled forestry, fishery and hunting workers
Essential Skills26

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