Fish Hatchery Manager

A Fish Hatchery Manager oversees all administrative and maintenance tasks for a fish hatchery. A fish hatchery is a scientific facility that traps fish, gives them an environment in which to reproduce, and releases them once they are large enough to survive on their own. As the Fish Hatchery Manager, you supervise every step in the process, take care of the financial aspects of the operation, and perform human resource duties.

Each fish hatchery has large holding tanks, which house fish at different stages of their lives. Individual tanks are closely monitored for temperature, water levels, and bacteria. The fish are observed through the feeding and growth process, and then released back into streams, lakes, or rivers. Your job as the Fish Hatchery Manager is to make sure all this happens efficiently and with concern for the health and well-being of the animals.

Another important aspect of your job involves managing the finances of the operation. You evaluate costs and assist in setting budgets. You monitor expenditures and consider different techniques, man-hours, suppliers, or fish products when the budget is threatened. State and federal reporting procedures require you to submit reports about every aspect of the hatchery, such as number of fry (baby fish), released populations, death rate, and costs.

In addition to procedures and finances, you are also responsible for all employees at the facility. This means you interview, hire, evaluate, and fire employees. You coordinate work schedules and vacations, as well as payroll and employee tax information.