Fisheries Tech III – Seasonal Remote Sockey Salmon Monitoring

The purpose of this project is to evaluate freshwater and marine survival of Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association’s (KRAA) sockeye stocked Spiridon Lake and their returns to Telrod Cove. The locations are accessible by floatplane from the City of Kodiak and personnel will remain on-site for the duration of the project. Communication will be by satellite phone and inReach to relay data updates, communicate about resupply trips, and for crew welfare checks. Normal phone or wifi reception is not available. The majority of time will be spent outdoors with extended exposure to cold, sun, rain, bugs, bears, and at times working in swift water. All camp supplies including groceries will be flown in every 2-3 weeks and carried by frame pack and cart to the job site. Benefits of the area are incredible outdoor recreation in a remote wilderness setting. KRAA will provide safety training (bear, firearm) and review sampling procedures prior to deployment. KRAA will provide transportation to/from the field site, housing, food, and chest waders for the project duration. A shared bunkhouse in the town of Kodiak is provided for transition between start/end dates. All personal clothing/gear is provided by the candidate.

Job Overview

• Leads seasonal field personnel to execute daily monitoring activities from remote field camps collecting data on smolt migration and harvest of hatchery reared sockeye salmon. The project purpose of this is to evaluate freshwater and marine survival. Work is scheduled as a team or individually based on work load and fish migration patterns.
• Ensures on-site safety
• Plans daily work tasks and scheduling rotating night/day shifts for changing migration patterns
• Live fish handling and data collection on smolt to conduct fish counts, collect scales, and gather weight/sex/length information at times using Tricaine/MS-222
• Otolith sample collection on adult fish during cost recovery and common property commercial fishing
• Smolt trap set-up/take down, cleaning debris from smolt traps, maintenance of camp equipment and trails
• Daily data reporting, resupply scheduling, and field updates provided to Research & Monitoring
• Must be able to motivate and assign tasks to personnel with varying levels of experience

Minimum Requirements

***   Must have the ability to legally possess firearms and may be subject to a background check.

***   Must be comfortable flying in small planes/helicopters and traveling to and working in remote locations.

***   Field personnel will live and work in proximity to Kodiak brown bears; safety is upmost priority to minimize human/bear interactions.

• Education in fisheries/aquaculture, biology or other natural resource field and demonstrated leadership experience in a work environment.
• Should be highly motivated and safety oriented with excellent organizational, critical thinking, and communication skills. Safety is of upmost priority and candidate must be able to respond effectively to emergency situations.
• Experience in extended backcountry/camping trips, wilderness skills, knot tying/splicing, and basic construction techniques are essential for this position.
• Existing first aid (Wilderness first aid preferred) and CPR certifications are helpful to have prior to start date.
• Candidates must also be physically able to lift 50 lbs.
• Strenuous hiking carrying frame packs (50lb load) several miles over rough terrain in brown bear country is required.
• Requires safe handling of firearms and other deterrents in protection against brown bear.
• Must have small boat handling /outboard motor operation experience; knowledge of commercial fishing and tendering will aid in successfully performing duties.
• Experience using remote communications including satellite phones and inReach is beneficial.
• The ability to self-entertain during non-working hours and maintain a positive attitude under challenging field conditions will be important.