Fish, shellfish and seaweed are all ways we can help to feed our growing population, making careers in the varied world of aquaculture more important than ever before.

Aquaculture means the ‘farming’ of all kinds of animals and plants that live in the water – fish, shellfish and seaweed. Jobs in aquaculture include farming, working to restore threatened and endangered populations, habitat restoration and looking after aquariums and fish cultures. It’s a growing industry playing an important part in providing sustainable sources of protein to feed our growing population.

Scotland is Europe’s largest producer of Atlantic salmon, directly employing 2,500 people in salmon production, plus many more in the processing and supply chain. The UK also produces fish like rainbow trout, brown trout and halibut, as well as shellfish like mussels, oysters and scallops. Seaweed is also grown and harvested on a small scale – but the industry is expected to grow as we discover new ways to use seaweed in medicine, food and animal feed, and even combatting climate change.

Aquaculture is an important source of employment in the UK’s most remote, rural communities and offers career opportunities all over the world. As well as looking after animals’ health and growth, you could also specialise in science and research to make the industry more sustainable, or design new tech to reduce water pollution and feed waste.

In the Republic of Ireland, fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties; salmon, mussels and oysters are the main farmed species in the country. The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas with 80% located in the west of Ireland

• Aquaculture is a varied industry with nearly 1,700 production sites across the UK

• In Scotland, Atlantic salmon production dominates, employing 2,500 people directly and paying an average salary of about £38,000

• Most aquaculture businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with over 80% of businesses employing less than 5 people

• There are 319 aquaculture sites in the Republic of Ireland.

• In 2021, the aquaculture industry in the Republic of Ireland was valued at €175m

Want to help protect our natural environment? Passionate about helping others understand the beauty around them? Then a career in environmental conservation may be for you.

People working in environmental conservation help look after the landscapes, habitats and species of the UK and Ireland’s hugely varied rural, costal, marine and urban areas. As well as offering spaces for rest and relaxation, our landscapes and habitats are important ways we can all find out more about our environment. They help people learn about sustainable land use, biodiversity and climate change, inspiring us to work together to solve the challenges our environment faces by reinstating woodlands, conserving habitats and protecting our coastline.

Environmental conservation offers a host of exciting career options for people who want to protect the environment and help other people enjoy it in a sustainable way. Whether you want to work in your local park, a nature reserve, our beautiful countryside or work on conservation around the world, if you’re interested in science, like working outdoors or want to help find answers to the big environmental questions we face, this diverse industry may the place for you.

• Over 60,000 people are employed in conservation and environmental roles in the UK, with a further 190,000 engaged as volunteers

• Between 2000 and 2019, the amount of time volunteers contributed to conservation activities in the UK increased by 61%

• The UK Government has committed to protect 30% of the UK’s land by 2030 to support biodiversity

• The report 'Ireland’s Environment: An Integrated Assessment 2020' outlines the state of Ireland’s environment at a strategic and national level, and planned responses to current and emerging environmental issues

The popularity of angling brings lots of different opportunities to work in both wild and managed fisheries.

The industry needs enthusiastic, skilled workers to help protect and restore our rivers and fisheries and grapple with issues like climate change, pollution, overfishing, catchment management and changing freshwater habitats.

Jobs in fisheries management involve looking after wild fish stocks and their freshwater habitats, as well as working in commercial stocked fisheries.

Day-to-day tasks might include monitoring and surveying, managing fishery habitats, investigating fish health and stock levels, maintaining water quality, or doing technical project work. If you like working with the public then there are lots of opportunities to share your knowledge of sustainable fishing, or you may even get the chance to help enforce regulations to protect fishing and its habitats.

• There is estimated to be over 3 million recreational anglers in the UK

• Fish are a good indicator of river ecosystem health as well as supporting recreational and commercial fisheries

• Recreational coarse and game fishing is a major tourism activity, providing direct financial benefits to local economies with almost all the spends going directly into the local community

• It is estimated that more than 150,000 people participate in an angling activity each year in the Republic of Ireland, contributing a significant amount to tourism and recreation economies