Fleming College

Aquaculture Foundations is a is a college certificate that focuses on:

• Fish biology – anatomy and function, stress, disease recognition and control
• Aquaculture techniques – maintenance of infrastructure, water and oxygen monitoring, basic calculations
• Fish husbandry – feeding and breeding
• Safety and environmental considerations

The program includes an Introduction to Indigenous Environmental Studies course. As well, Indigenous practices and approaches to Aquaculture are embedded across the curriculum.

Learn from anywhere! Most of the program will be delivered online with a culminating 90-hour work placement component. Your hands-on training will take place in a compressed format in our hatchery or a workplace of your choice.

Students taking this program will benefit from Fleming’s expertise in the field. In addition to our renowned Aquaculture Co-op Graduate Certificate program, we recently launched a Centre for Innovative Aquaculture Production. We have strong industry and employer connections, expert faculty, and best-in-class on-campus facilities including our hatchery. The accessible delivery format, work placement, and the inclusion of Indigenous practices makes it unique in Ontario.

This program provides you with applied learning opportunities to ensure you have the skills to succeed in your career. You will get hands-on training through a culminating work placement – either in our fish hatchery or a workplace of your choice – which immerses you in a real-world environment.

Aquaculture is a growing field that is facing labour shortages. Employers include public or private fish hatcheries or commercial farms. Positions within the industry include:

• Aquaculture Support Worker
• Fish Farm Helper
• Fish Tagger
• Fry Marker
• Sea Farm Attendant

Main duties would include:

• Assisting Aquaculture Technicians in the operation of fish hatcheries or other aquatic farms
• Feeding and vaccinating stocks, performing culling and marking or banding, and monitoring and reporting on stocks
• Operation and maintenance of aquaculture equipment
• Grading and weighing aquaculture stocks
• Preparing aquaculture stocks for market
• Operation of boats or other equipment needed for aquaculture operations

Average industry salaries = up to $22 per hour.

Upon graduating, eligible students can pursue additional education pathways within the field of study at the diploma or degree level. Graduates may want to pursue further study in a diploma program within our School of Environmental and Natural Resources Sciences. With supplementary education or industry experience, students could also potentially gain credentials to be considered for entry to our Aquaculture Co-op graduate certificate program.

The Indigenous Perspectives Designation (IPD) is an option available to students in this program. To qualify for an IPD, you must take and successfully complete a series of required Indigenous Studies courses as well as participate in a minimum of four approved co-curricular Indigenous events or experiences. Your transcript will indicate the IPD upon graduation, a designation that provides you with a comprehensive understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories, traditions, and contributions to our shared society within the context of your program of study. The IPD provides a valuable skill set sought after in today's employment sector.

• Evaluate biological factors and report on unusual fish behaviour to assist the identification of fish health and welfare concerns.
• Identify, test, and inspect aquaculture components and systems to maintain industry standards, such as water quality.
• Contribute to the collecting and processing of daily water quality and fish husbandry data to monitor fish health, welfare, and growth.
• Perform work responsibilities in accordance to applicable provincial and federal safety and environmental regulations and company policies to ensure health and safety of fish and humans.
• Conduct basic math calculations, such as feed conversions, mortality rates, flow rates, growth rates, to assess facility operations, fish health, and fish growth.
• Apply common fish handling techniques to optimize fish health and maximize growth of various species approved to be raised in Canada.
• Identify and integrate historical and contemporary Indigenous and non-Indigenous views and practices to meet the needs of non-Indigenous and Indigenous participants in aquaculture.

Students applying to Aquaculture Foundations must meet the following requirements:

• OSSD (or equivalent mature student status OSSD)