Catching a Future in Fisheries

The NREM department provides hands-on experiences for students with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Colt Holly (left), Abbey Smith and Matt Pallett enjoy a day sampling paddlefish with ODWC. Photo courtesy of Dan Shoup.

Picture a career where the outdoors is your office and fishing is your 2 o’clock appointment. leave the classrooms of OSU to fill vastly different, productive and imperative roles in society and agriculture, NREM PROVIDES UNIQUE JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE The fisheries and aquatic ecology option at OSU is the reason NREM senior Katy Brennan decided to come

For some alumni of the Oklahoma he said. to Stillwater, she said. State University Department of Students interested in fisheries can “As a freshman, I wanted to focus Natural Resource Ecology and have a career in the industry, Shoup on marine biology, and being from Management, this fantasy is a reality. said, whether they are interested in the Oklahoma, there weren’t many op-

With more than 650,000 fishing preservation of water, instruction of tions in marine biology close to home,” licenses in Oklahoma, recreational individuals about pond management, she said. “It was nice that OSU had a fishing offers students pursuing a sport fishing management, aquacul- fisheries option and opened my eyes degree in natural resource ecology ture, or work at an aquarium or a zoo. to the opportunities of managing and and management with a fisheries and “Students pursuing a fisheries researching freshwater ecosystems.” aquatic ecology option an opportunity management option for sport fish As the aquatic industry evolves, to pursue a career in the field. comprise the biggest group of our stu- more career opportunities become Dan Shoup, NREM associate pro- dents,” Shoup said. “Most people don’t available, Shoup added. fessor, has helped his students explore think about the really high number of “We also have a good number of stuthe wide world of fisheries for more students who are interested in marine dents who just have general ecosystem than 17 years. He has watched students biology after graduation.” health and conservation interests,”

Shoup said. “They don’t care whether a fish is prized as a sport fish, a food fish or just something pretty.

“There’s a value there, and our aquatic ecosystems have been stressed for decades because of pollution and disturbances,” Shoup said. “These students just want to do something about that pressing issue in our ecosystems.”

To help students thrive in a fisheries career, NREM offers hands-on courses, such as Fisheries Techniques.

“This is a fairly unique course,” Shoup said. “This course gets students out to learn to use the different fisheries equipment.”

In the course, students set gill nets, hoop nets and fyke nets and participate in electro fishing from a boat. They go backpacking and otter trawling as well as participate in other kinds of hands-on activities. The OSU NREM department has produced a large number of fisheries staff who represent the state of Oklahoma, said Ken Cunningham, ODWC chief of fisheries division. The ODWC fisheries division has 71 staff members of whom 21 have a bachelor’s degree from OSU with an emphasis in fisheries and aquatic ecology. Twelve have an advanced degree — master’s or doctorate — from OSU, as well.

“The program benefits ODWC, not only in training future fisheries staff but also in conducting research that improves our ability to manage aquatic

resources in Oklahoma effectively,” Cunningham said. Choosing a major in the NREM department can be an opportunity to be involved in a rewarding career with I’M PROUD OF THE a huge impact, Shoup said. “As long as we still have fish resources in the United States, I want to STUDENTS THAT see us meet the challenges of managing fish wisely across the board, whether WE’VE PRODUCED it’s for harvest or whether it’s just ecosystem health,” Shoup said. “I’m proud

AND WHAT of the students that we’ve produced and what they’re able to accomplish. Shoup hopes the OSU fisheries THEY’RE ABLE TO option will continue to help students indefinitely, he said.

ACCOMPLISH. “As long as there is a need to manage DAN SHOUP fish resources, we are going to need to train people to do this task and do it well,” he added.

TRÉ SMITH

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