Become a fishery officer!

Wondering what a typical day is like for a fishery officer? It’s hard to say, because every day is different!

A fishery officer may be required to do one or more of these activities every day:

• Carry out surveillance of fishing activities (commercial fisheries; recreational fisheries; Indigenous communal fisheries; and food, social and ceremonial fisheries) by land, sea and air.
• Protect fish habitat.
• Meet with members of the public and youth in schools to educate them about the importance of protecting our aquatic resources.
• Promote and ensure compliance with legislation concerning the protection of certain species at risk in the region.
• During routine patrols and special investigations, gather intelligence on illegal activities to be used in court.
• Perform administrative duties: draft reports and court briefs, carry out administrative investigations to ensure compliance of fishers, etc.  

These activities vary according to the home office. Each area has its own aquatic species, fishing activities and regional issues, so there’s something for everyone! Click the next tab to learn more.

To help you decide which offices might interest you, here’s what sets them apart:

North Shore and Quebec City

• Blanc Sablon
  • Fishery officers monitor most of their territory by watercraft. They carry out patrols mainly to monitor the poaching of lobster, snow crab and Atlantic halibut.
  • This office is located in a maritime and northern environment unlike anywhere else in Quebec, with impressive views and fisheries.
• Havre Saint Pierre
  • Fishery officers at this office carry out coastal patrols and come into contact with numerous species, such as snow crab, lobster, sea cucumber and scallop.
  • In this area, fishery officers cover great distances and see breathtaking scenery, from the Minganie coast, to Anticosti Island, to the end of Route 138 in Kegaska.
• Sept Îles
  • Day and night, fishery officers from the Sept Îles office take part in numerous coastal surveillance operations aimed at combatting illegal fishing.
  • These officers use a number of means of transportation for their activities: all terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and Conservation and Protection watercraft.
• Baie Comeau
  • In this area, shellfish harvesting is very popular and requires regular monitoring by officers.
  • During the winter, the team is called upon to carry out snowmobile patrols for ice fishing in Saguenay.
• Quebec City
  • Fishery officers patrol the area around Quebec City to carry out inspections of fish habitat. 
  • During the summer season, officers meet with recreational boaters to raise awareness of aquatic invasive species and marine mammals. 

Gaspé–Lower St. Lawrence and Magdalen Islands

• Cap aux Meules 
  • Fishery officers ensure seal harvesting compliance by helicopter, boat and all terrain vehicle.
  • The Magdalen Islands are home to Quebec’s largest lobster fishery.
• Grande Rivière
  • This is the largest district in the Quebec Region in terms of distance and number of fishery officers.
  • Sainte Thérèse de Gaspé, located 10 km from Grande Rivière, is recognized as the snow crab capital of the Quebec Region.
• Gaspé
  • At sea patrols are focused on the protection of marine mammals living in the Banc des Américains Marine Protected Area.
  • It is in Gaspé that the Aerial, Maritime and Electronic Surveillance Team is located. Fishery officers are required to patrol offshore fishing areas and coral and sponge reefs by plane and boat. 
• Sainte Anne des Monts
  • In Sainte Anne des Monts, many patrols are carried out to combat poaching in recreational fisheries.
  • This area is characterized by the emergence of new fisheries such as the sea urchin and sea cucumber.

Want to work elsewhere in Canada? Check out our national recruitment page! 

Work conditions

• 37.5-hour week (with paid overtime)
• Shift work
• Annual salary
  • GT 02 – Fishery Officer Trainee: $59,518–$67,276
  • GT 03 – Fishery Officer Trainee: $66,559–$75,427
  • GT 04 – Fishery Officer: $74,995–$85,266
• In addition to their annual salary, fishery officers receive an annual allowance of $6,500 and a first aid allowance of $300.
• An additional allowance may be granted based on the work location.
   

Benefits

• Disability insurance / long term disability insurance plan
• Paid annual leave
• Bereavement leave with pay
• Leave with pay for family related responsibilities
• Paid sick leave
• Supplementary death benefits
• Public Service Pension Plan
• Public Service Health Care Plan
• Public Service Dental Care Plan

Before welcoming you aboard our team, we have to make sure this job is for you! Through our selection process, we’ll get a better sense of your strengths, abilities and skills. Here’s how it works:

1. Submit your application and provide the requested documents.
2. If your application is accepted, you will be invited to take part in the following:
   • Entrance exam 
   • Writing test 
   • Pre interview simulation exercise
   • Behavioural and situational interview 
   • Reference check
3. You will then need to meet the following conditions of employment:
   • Obtain a Secret security clearance: You will need security clearance before you can access federal public service information, assets and workplaces.
   • Meet and maintain standards of physical and psychological health: You will be asked to complete assessments of your vision, hearing, colour perception, neuromuscular and cardiovascular capacities and psychological qualities.
   • Complete the Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) test in the required time: You will undergo a three stage physical fitness assessment (obstacle course, push/pull test and weight carry).*
   • Hold and maintain a valid driver’s licence (emergency vehicle class if required): In Quebec, Class 4A – Emergency vehicles is required.
   • Hold valid first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificates: You will need to have attended a two day in person first aid course in order to obtain this certificate, which must include Level C CPR training and training in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). 
   • *To take the training, candidates must complete the PARE within 4 minutes and 45 seconds. To pass the training, candidates must complete the PARE in 4 minutes or less.
4. After successfully completing all these steps, you may be offered the opportunity to take part in a 19 week classroom based fishery officer training course at Atlantic Police Academy in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. During this training, you will be a cadet and will receive an allowance. If you successfully complete the classroom training, you will be hired for an indeterminate position at the GT 02 level and progress to the GT 04 level upon successful completion of field training.

Still have questions? We will be happy to answer them.

Please write to us if you have any further questions. 

Contact Us