Job Description for Catfish Workers

Catfish farmers have a lot of duties.

Catfish farming is typically undertaken by large-scale operations. A profitable catfish farm requires a pond of more than 80 acres and an initial investment of over $400,000. Because catfish farms are usually so large, they require a number of employees in a variety of positions--from labor that tends to the catfish on a daily basis to biologists that develop more productive methods of catfish farming.

Fishery Labor

At the bottom of the catfish worker hierarchy, as in nearly every other profession, lies the laborer. Laborers who work in catfish farms handle the daily tasks of running a catfish farm. This includes cleaning and maintenance of the pond and facilities, and harvesting the catfish for sale. In catfish farms where the catfish is processed, laborers are responsible for cleaning, cutting and trimming the fish as well.

Fishery Technicians

Fishery technicians support the management and maintain the environment in which the catfish are raised. Technicians must survey the pond regularly to make sure chemical treatments and feeding schedules are properly kept. They collect and fertilize eggs, follow the growth and aging of the fish, and construct and maintain fishing gear used in the harvesting of the fish. Technicians train lower-tier workers, including other technicians and laborers. A history or education in the fishing business is required for fishery technicians, and catfish farms prefer to hire technicians with a working knowledge of catfish.

Fishery Biologist

Catfish-farm biologists perform the same function as other fishery biologists, but they specialize in catfish. A biologist working for a catfish farm works alongside the technician to monitor and improve the condition of the catfish and their environment. Biologists need to understand what different plants, animals and organisms are, and how they affect the catfish and the farm as a whole. A bachelor's degree in fishery biology is required to be a fishery biologist.

Management

Catfish farms are large organizations requiring huge investments in land and people. In order to manage the farming, production and distribution of catfish, a bachelor's degree in aquaculture science or years of on-the-job training are required. Many members of the management teams in catfish fisheries work their way into that position.

The Catfish Industry

There are catfish farms all over the country, but the Deep South contains the bulk of catfish farms. Mississippi and Louisiana are the leading producers of catfish in the United States. The Deep South also has a long history of catfish as a cuisine, and there are restaurants all over the South that specialize in catfish. Environmental problems caused by catfish are often addressed by aquaculture biologists, and how to deal with them in the wild is an ongoing process.

Ornamental Catfish

In recent years, the aquarium and pet industry has begun to see a growth in sales of decorative catfish. Colorful and small, decorative catfish are easily maintained, making them popular with aquarium enthusiasts. These catfish are raised in much smaller environments than industrial catfish raised in industrial farms, and small-scale catfish farms are beginning to appear with greater frequency.

References

• Small-Scale Catfish Production: Introduction
• Job Specifications: Fisheries Technician
• Job Specifications: Fisheries Biologist
• Fish Hatchery Manager Job Description