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for the love of fish...
> If only lovin native fish was a job..:)
It is a job for many of us. If a career is what you want, you only
start with the love. Education comes next. Many people say they don't
want to spend the time and money getting a college degree, but fisheries
technician jobs are available to people with a 2-year degree. Schools
that offer a 2-year fisheries degree are not very common. There's one
near my home in Washington and many field technicians and hatchery
workers I work with have gone through its program. You may find this
quite rewarding. Unfortunately, these jobs are generally low-paying,
often temporary, and technicians have little influence within their
agency or company.
A bachelor's or master's degree is more valuable. The interactions and
information available during these studies can't be found anywhere else.
Whatever field of study -- biology, fisheries, etc--you'll never look at
a stream or pond again and see just fish. You'll gain insight into the
biological, physical and chemical processes that occur in these bodies
of water. You'll develop critical thinking skills, and communication
skills, and be better able to make informed decisions. You'll learn
that easy management decisions are rare, especially when you mix in
politics and societal demands (possibly the most frustrating part,
because of the changing values and beliefs of society). Sentiment and
quick-fix solutions are not the way to go-- we could have avoided many
environmental blunders of the past if only we made better use of
scientific reasoning and informed logic. That, plus a common desire
that our species and their ecosystems are worth protecting forever.
Jay DeLong
Olympia, WA