Your licence dollars
at work.

We own and operate six major fish hatcheries that are located in Duncan, Abbotsford, Summerland, Clearwater, Fort Steele, and Vanderhoof. We also operate a trout distribution centre in Prince George and nine egg collection stations situated throughout the province. Every year, the hatcheries raise and release over six million trout, char, and kokanee salmon into 800 lakes around the province. We also manage special recovery programs for endangered species such as white sturgeon in the Columbia and Nechako Rivers.

Most of our hatcheries welcome visitors and offer self-guided tours. Seasonally, we offer guided tours at our Abbotsford, Fort Steele, Summerland, Clearwater and Vanderhoof locations. Please contact us for more information and to organise a booking.

Learn to Fish is an introductory program appropriate for kids 5 - 15 and their families. This half-day course will teach participants the basics of how, when and where to catch fish in fresh water. Adult Learn to Fish programs also run through-out the year. Please visit the Events page to register for a course. An adapted version of the course is available for organized groups of all ages - please email fish@gofishbc.com for more information on group bookings.

Birthday Parties - For a birthday party that really takes the cake, come fishing! Click here for more information, or to make a booking please contact us. 

Educational Field Trips - A one-of-a-kind experience for students and teachers alike! Programs are available at our, Clearwater, Abbotsford and Fort Steele locations, and can be fully tailored to your group's age and interests.

Our Science Division provides professional support and leadership for program evaluation, applied research, planning and for the development of technology and products. This division is supported by specialists in the fields of fish culture, fish health, genetics, fish biology and sport fisheries management.

Historically, the Society’s activities have been focused on stocking small lakes, promoting sport fishing and improving the science around fish culture and small lakes fisheries management. Our new funding model will allow us to initiate additional projects that further improve angling opportunities and management through assessments of hatchery and wild fish populations, improvements to angler access, enhanced compliance monitoring and enforcement, improvements to hatchery facilities and the stocking program. Through careful investments in the resource and its management, there will be continual improvement in our public freshwater fisheries that provide important benefits to anglers, businesses and governments.

Our Fish Health Unit maintains year round diagnostic assessments on all hatchery-reared fish to ensure their health, protect the aquatic ecosystem from exposure to disease pathogens and confirm compliance with federal and provincial regulatory standards. Relocated in 2009 to a new facility at the Freshwater Eco-Centre in Duncan, our lab facility contains a host of individual labs used for testing necropsy, serology, virology, PCR and tissue culture. The Fish Health Unit can also perform bacteriology isolation and basic identification of some common fish bacterial pathogen along with a number of other disease screening techniques.

Working for the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC is more than a job. It’s a chance to be part of a unique organization that’s making a real difference in the future of BC’s fisheries. The Society offers challenging career opportunities in a wide range of areas, including:

• Education and outreach
• Facilities management
• Finance and administration
• Fish culture
• Fisheries research
• Human resources
• Information technology
• Marketing

Positions may be full or part-time, permanent or seasonal. Either way, we offer competitive compensation and benefits, opportunities for career growth and development and the experience of working with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic team.

Are you the catch we’re after?

Do you have the qualifications and expertise required for a posted opportunity? If so, you’re off to a good start but we’re looking for more. Professionalism, commitment, and good communication skills are essential. You’ll also need strong desire to be part of a progressive, conservation-minded team and a passion for outdoor recreation.

Positions available

Senior Fish Culture Technician (Scientific Technical Officer 18)
Location: Abbotsford, B.C.
Competition No.: FFSBC 19:1004
Regular, Full-Time Opportunity
Closing Date: December 9, 2019. 4:30 PM, PST

For more information on this regular, full-time position, please view the job posting and job desciption. Interested applicants should apply online.

Contact jobs@gofishbc.com for general enquiries.

We thank all candidates for their interest. However, only those selected to continue to the next phase of the recruitment process will be contacted.

The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC awards up to four scholarship grants annually, each with a value of up to $1,500. These scholarships are available to students enrolled in a fish culture or fisheries management program within a recognized post-secondary educational institution in British Columbia. To be eligible, applicants must have completed at least their first year of postsecondary studies and plan to continue as a student, with the intent of establishing a career in BC in one of the following fields: fish culture; recreational fisheries management; fisheries enhancement, conservation and/or research.  Funds will be awarded as a tuition credit for the fall term upon proof of full time enrollment. Previous recipients are not eligible to reapply.

Interested applicants may submit either a short essay or an audio visual presentation that outlines your career aspirations and how your past experience, interests and chosen educational program will benefit BC’s freshwater recreational fisheries upon your graduation. Also outline an environmental issue in BC that’s important to you and the reason why. An essay submission must be between 750-1000 words or an audio visual presentation between five and ten minutes.

Your application must also include a copy of your recent transcript, your resumé, the names and contact information of three references, including at least one academic and/or faculty member reference. In addition you must provide permission to publish your photo and information in the media, our newsletter, and on social media sites if you receive an award.

Seasonal employment opportunities may be available with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (typically posted in January), and scholarship recipients are encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions

The application deadline for 2019 is now closed. Watch this page for an announcement about our next scholarship application deadline in the spring of 2020. 

Human Resources Department
Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC
101 - 80 Regatta Landing
Victoria BC  V9A 7S2
Phone:  250-414-4200; toll free: 1-888-601-4200
Fax:  250-414-4211

Corporate Office
80 Regatta Landing, Suite 101, Victoria, B.C. V9A 7S2
250-414-4200
Toll Free: 888-601-4200
fish@gofishbc.com

Clearwater Trout Hatchery
40 Old North Thompson Highway East, Clearwater, B.C. V0E 1N2
250-674-2580
clearwater@gofishbc.com
Visitor Hours: Daily, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery and Visitor Centre
34345 Vye Road, Abbotsford, B.C. V2S 7P6
Hatchery: 604-504-4709
Visitor Centre: 604-504-4716
visit.fraservalley@gofishbc.com
Visitor Hours: Guided programs by appointment only

Kootenay Trout Hatchery and Visitor Centre
4522 Fenwick Road, Fort Steele, B.C. V0B 1N0
Hatchery: 250-429-3214
Visitor Centre: 250-429-3214
kootenay@gofishbc.com
Visitor Hours: Daily, 8:00am - 3:30pm. Guided tours May through August, 9:30am - 3:30pm

Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre
3030 Burrard Avenue, PO Box 710, Vanderhoof, B.C. V0J 3A2
250-567-6673
info@nechakowhitesturgeon.org
Visitor Hours: Guided tours Thursdays at 2:00pm. 

Summerland Trout Hatchery and Visitor Centre
13405 Lakeshore Drive South, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z1
250-494-0491
visit.summerland@gofishbc.com
Visitor Hours: April - June: Monday to Thursday 10:00am - 2:00pm. July - August: Daily 10:00am - 3:00pm. September: Monday to Thursday 10:00am - 2:00pm. October: Tuesday - Thursday 10:00am - 2:00pm. November - March: Guided tours by appointment only.

Vancouver Island Trout Hatchery
1080 Wharncliffe Road, Duncan, B.C. V9L 2K7
250-746-5180
vancouverisland@gofishbc.com