Duties:

A fish propagation technician usually takes responsibility for care of brood stock fish. This could mean maintaining broodstock in tanks or ponds. It could also include collection of brood stock from the wild. For example, brood stock for many federal salmon hatcheries are collected during spawning runs.

A propagation technician might also be responsible for induced spawning activities. This includes administering hormone treatments to induce egg production, monitoring egg maturation, fertilizing stripped eggs with milt, and monitoring egg maturation and fry production.

Education & Experience:

This type of job usually requires a Bachelor of Science degree. In addition, a propagation technician would receive considerable on-the-job training specific to the species being produced from a hatchery manager. This is an entry level position and would not typically pay as much as some other fisheries professions.