"People have always been a part of this healthy ecosystem. The goal of the Tribal Parks is to enable human inhabitants to live in accordance with Natural Law."
Do you like to protect and care for your Nation’s natural resources?
If the majority of these statements apply, you could like working in the area of management and enforcement.
- It’s important to me to have a job that includes working outside or on the water.
- I want a job that works toward change in the environment and my Nation’s access to sea resources.
- I enjoy working with people and guiding them in their activities.
- I like doing work in resource management (e.g., restoration work) and helping my community work toward our environmental stewardship goals.
Uu-a-thluk
taking care of
What’s It All About?
Enforcement workers make sure people not only obey the laws protecting fish and wildlife, but understand them as well. Often they spend a lot of time in boats or on land investigating complaints and policing natural areas. They also prepare reports, give evidence in court, hand out licences, and may give talks at schools and community meetings.
Managers of ocean resources work with communities and tribal fisheries departments and other groups to set harvesting limits and create policies governing seafood.
Some work on boats gathering data about catches. Others work on docks or oversee fisheries projects happening in their nation’s territory.
Indigenous guardians play an important role in improving fisheries management in First Nations communities.
Guardians are involved in compliance, monitoring and stewardship activities to ensure the conservation and protection of fisheries.
What Do You Need?
Fisheries guardians program supervisors require an advanced degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field including Environmental Studies/Science, Biology, and Natural Resource Management is an asset and familiarity with GIS Systems knowledge is an asset.
The Coastal Stewardship Network supports custom training and professional development programs by facilitating interactions between staff, Elders and other knowledge keepers that will build capacity for the next generation in stewardship leadership.
Their unique training programs, such as the Stewardship Technicians Training Program, emphasize the importance of culture and learning in the field, and whenever possible, encourage one-on-one coaching and follow-up trainings. Contact the program for more info.
Currently, the Aboriginal Fisheries Guardian (AFG) program is undergoing significant change and renewal. There are no plans in 2022-23 fiscal for funding training and recruitment.
At-Sea Observers and Electronic Monitoring page of the Government of Canada for updates.
Tribal fisheries managers usually have technical training in fisheries management. Some learn on the job. Responsibilities will vary depending on the size of the nation and its access to seafood.
AFS Implementation Officers may have a degree in biology or another area like natural resource management.
Conservation and fishery officers completion of a college program in renewable resources management, environmental conservation or a related discipline is usually required along with on-the-job training and courses related to law enforcement and resource management are provided. Possible additional requirements include the following: Class-5 driver’s licence, pesticide applicator’s license and explosives licence.
What Can you Earn?
Fisheries guardians program supervisors earn between $66,739 and $79,253 calculated annually ($32/hour and $38/hour).
Fisheries program managers usually earn between $83,424 and $133,499 calculated annually ($40/hour and $64.01/hour).
Conservation and fishery officers earn about $72,996 calculated annually.
Sample Employers
- First Nations
- Industry monitoring companies
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Ministry of the
- Environment
- Parks Canada
Sample Jobs
- Fisheries Guardians
- At-Sea-Observers
- Conservation Officers
- Fisheries Officers
- Fisheries Managers
- Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (AFS)
- Implementation Officers
- Park Wardens
- Catch Monitors (e.g., creel surveys)
Fishery Programs Manager – Government Services in British Columbia (2022, April 8). Government of Canada Job Bank. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/12246/BC
Conservation and Fisheries Officers. (2021, March 25). WorkBC. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.workbc.ca/Jobs-Careers/Explore-Careers/Browse-Career-Profile/2224#earnings-and-outlook
