Fishery Officer Career: Training and Recruitment

• Training Program
• Training Allowance and Salary
• Recruitment Projections
• How to Apply
• Further Information

Training Program

The Department recruits and develops candidates to become Fishery Officers. Successful candidates are initially recruited as Cadets and progress from the GT-02 to GT-04 group and level contingent upon successful classroom and field training. Training is for a duration of approximately 34 months through the departmental "Fishery Officer Career Progression Program" (FOCPP).

The FOCPP classroom training portion is approximately 17 weeks. Skills are acquired in areas such as fish identification, conducting patrols, communication, negotiation and enforcement methods in support of the department's mandate to conserve and protect fisheries resources. The training is delivered in government facilities such as the Coast Guard College in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The last nine-week component of the training is delivered at the RCMP Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Candidates may be required to reimburse part of the travel, room and board, and other costs related to their FOCPP classroom training if they:

1. voluntarily leave the classroom training program before its completion; or

2. successfully complete the classroom training but refuse a Fishery Officer position; or

3. accept a Fishery Officer position but voluntarily leave the position before having completed at least 30 months of employment (or their initial term of employment if less than 30 months).

Training Allowance and Salary

Cadets receive a training allowance of $350.00 per week for the duration of the classroom training. The following will be deducted from the training allowance at source: income tax, unemployment insurance, Canada/Quebec pension plan deductions and $90.00 per week for room and board. Cadets will not be paid during the break between each component of the training program. Upon successful completion of the classroom training, cadets are appointed to a GT-02 Fishery Officer position and have to successfully complete 30 months of field training in order to be appointed to a GT-04 position.

The FOCPP is a training program with a three-level classification structure (GT-02 to GT-04). Associated salaries are: 

GT-02: $44 621 to $50 438
GT-03: $49 901 to $56 582
GT-04: $56 224 to $63 925   

Recruitment Projections

A total of 109 new Fishery Officers were hired and trained over the last five years.

Here are the recruitment projections for 2013 (these figures may change throughout the year).

* Regional allocation to be determined.

Please note that a selection process to fill Fishery Officer positions in 5 regions closed on May 12th, 2013. Vacant Fishery Officer positions in the Pacific Region will be filled using a Pool of pre-qualified candidates created in 2011.

An excellent vehicle to be informed about Fishery Officer Trainee competitions is to subscribe to "Job Alert." This way, you will be notified by email each time a Fishery Officer Trainee competition is opened.

To subscribe, go to Job Bank.

We suggest that you use the following keywords: Fishery Officer Trainee.

How to Apply

All Fishery Officer positions are announced via the Public Service Commission's website or you can call their InfoTel Service (see your phone directory).  

Further Information

For more information, please contact the nearest Regional Recruitment and Training Manager.