Also called: Minnow Farmer
Raises minnows, shiners and goldfish in ponds to sell as bait and feeder fish; Arkansas is the national center of the industry.
Pulls a long seine net through a pond with your crew, crowds thousands of golden shiners into a holding tank and grades them by size. Then you load aerated trucks that deliver to bait shops across several states. Keeping oxygen high and birds away is a daily battle.
Estimate; a farm business; crew pay is hourly.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; aquaculture courses help. Many learn on family farms.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Aquaculture, Fisheries Science.
Growing slowly. Small industry facing rules on moving live fish.
Low risk for 10 years. Seining ponds and handling live fish stays hands-on; sensors help monitor oxygen.
Classes: Agriscience (FFA), Biology, Chemistry.
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