INTRODUCTION
Fish continues to be an important source of protein for the growing populace worldwide. This is so true as a recent report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2020 on the state of the world fisheries and aquaculture reveals that in 2017 alone, which is the latest year under review, about 17% of the world’s intake of animal protein was fish likewise, about 7% of the global intake of all proteins. Fish is so vital that in developing countries such as Ghana, Sri Lanka, Gambia, etc. it contributes to approximately 50% per person intake of animal sources of protein. Back home in Nigeria, per capita fish consumption stands at 13.3kg according to an FAO report in 2018, in addition to contributing more than 40% of animal protein intake (WorldFish, 2018) and for several years, we have been the continent’s leading consumer of fish and fish products annually.
There are several definitions of aquaculture (aka fish farming), the most important thing to note is its invaluable contribution to food security and the vital roles it plays in the Nigerian agricultural sector. Aquaculture is simply the cultivation of fish and other aquatic organisms, be it plants, algae, shellfish, etc. in a controlled environment. Fisheries on the other hand are determined or defined based on certain elements such as the method of fishing, types of gears involved, the area or water body fished on, type of species harvested, and even the people involved. As such we have names like tuna fisheries, shrimp fisheries, artisanal fisheries, etc. Fishery in its literal meaning is an occupation that involves removing (harvesting) fish and other seafood.
CAREER SCOPE IN FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
In 2018, FAO (2020) reported that the number of persons occupied as full-time, part-time, or occasional workers in sectors of fisheries and aquaculture was about 59.51 million. This has increased over the years, with most of the workers from developing countries. There are several areas one could be employed under fisheries and aquaculture including research and related functions, general aquaculture, fish nutrition, aquarium management, post-harvest technology, importation and exportation of seafood, other value chains such as by-products and recreation/tourism.
As a professional course, graduates of Fisheries and Aquaculture can be self-employed in their fisheries-aquaculture businesses and embark on several entrepreneurship routes. A few can work under federal, state, and local government ministries, departments, parastatals, commissions, or agencies. For example, these graduates can kick start careers as Fisheries Officers, Fisheries Biologists, etc. in jobs in central government agencies and institutes such as the Federal and State Ministries of Agriculture (MoA) as they have departments of fisheries and aquaculture, Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF), National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR), Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), African Regional Aquacultural Centre (ARAC), etc. They can also seek opportunities in international agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Fisheries Committee of the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), WorldFish, Regional Fisheries Committee for the Gulf of Guinea (COREP), Committee for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture of Africa (CIFAA), the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM), etc. In tertiary institutions, they can work as researchers and/or lecturers or as lab technicians and farm managers. In the private sector, they can work as fish farm managers and supervisors, consultants in various aquaculture areas. There are tons of direct and indirect jobs in fisheries and aquaculture operations, hence, it is difficult to estimate the number of Nigerians involved in this sector.
Table 1: World employment for fishers and fish farmers, by region
Source: FAO (2020).
NOTE: The regional and global totals have been adjusted in some cases as a result of extended work on the dataset to revise historical data and improve the methodologies applied for estimations.
LIST OF CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN FISHERIES, AQUACULTURE TECHNOLOGY, AND AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA
There are several opportunities and careers in Fisheries and Aquaculture, there are listed below:
- Fisheries officers in local, state, and federal government ministries.
- Aquaculture officers in local, state, and federal government ministries.
- Environmental officers in local, state, and federal government ministries.
- Consultants to several agencies on fisheries, aquaculture, and aquatic environmental management.
- Consultants to fish farms on fish pathology, hatchery management, pond construction, post-harvest technology, and processing.
- Environmental consultants to government agencies, NGOs, and oil companies.
- Fisheries biologist/ecologist/managers
- Aquatic Pollution biologist.
- Conservationist and aquatic pollution champions.
- Aquarium attendants, builders, specialists, and managers.
- Environmental Impact Assessors and Managers
- Aquatic Toxicologists and Biological Monitoring Technician
- Conservation managers or attendants in state and federal natural or forest parks and game reserves.
- Conservationist and endangered species biologists
- Extension agents or officers under the ministry of agriculture.
- Entrepreneurship in capture fisheries businesses – artisanal and industrial fisheries, post-harvest, inputs, gears, crafts, etc.
- Entrepreneurship is core aquaculture businesses – fingerlings production, table size fish production, and processing.
- Managers/Supervisors/Owners of fish feed production plants.
- Processing, distribution, and exportation of bivalves (oysters, clams, etc.) and crustaceans (shrimps, prawns, etc.)
- Environmental scientists, Pollution Experts, and Education Officers.
- Lecturers in Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education
- Teachers in secondary schools with a specialty in Agriculture, Fisheries, Geography, Animal Husbandry, or Basic Science.
- Fish hatchery managers and attendants
- Researchers in various fisheries and aquaculture institutions and agencies – ARAC, NIOMR, NIFFR, FDF.
- Wetland and marine resources managers.
- Environmental Health Officers
- Water resources officer in the Ministry of Environment or Agriculture.
- Staff in Financial institutions, oil companies, NGOs, Environmental companies, etc.
- Fisheries or agricultural officers in agriculture development banks.
- Importation and exportation of seafood – frozen fish, canned fish, etc.
- Dealers on fish inputs such as fish feed, drugs, breeding equipment, and facilities, etc.
- So many others.
As revealed by several studies, fisheries and aquaculture can contribute greatly towards improving the economy of Nigeria if harnessed and given proper attention. It has the potential to employ millions of unemployed youths thereby reducing youth unrest in the nation alongside several other benefits.
Featured image source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (retrieved 21/04/2022)
Gift Samuel David