'It hasn't been a day of work since I started': CSI's aquaculture program spawns new student opportunities

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TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Students will be dipping their toes in the waters of the aquaculture scene through a program the College of Southern Idaho offers.

A new class of students will be starting the program this fall. They will learn how to keep fish healthy and help them thrive.

According to the program's manager, Melissa Wagner, aquaculture is, "like the rearing of aquatic species, or plants – plants or animals. So, it's essentially the raising and caring for fish."

While the program is centered on spawning fish, it's also spawning new opportunities in the lives of some of its students. Kyle Jones went through the program a few years ago and explained how much he learned in the class.

"I didn't know very much about the aquaculture situation until I took the class, and I learned everything from top to bottom," Jones said. "I actually started an aquaponics project as a hobby in my backyard. I spent a lot of time doing that and wanted to change career paths. It was more of a passion I found and I went for it. It hasn't been a day of work since I started."

It may not feel like work to Jones, but there's certainly a lot of science involved with caring for fish.

"Their life depends on different water chemistry, temperature and light," Wagner said

Wagner uses the full life cycle of the fish to teach students how to make sure the fish are healthy.

"That entails spawning, taking care of eggs, how to chemically treat to reduce fungus and diseases, biosecurity," Wagner said. "They're also going to learn different water parameters, anything they would need to know, including how to spot different diseases. Then, kind of tell me what they think the treatment would be. They're going to see it all of the way though, and I'll just be monitoring and helping them along, but they're really the ones that are going to do the work."

The rainbow trout that are raised in the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls will go on to stocking private ponds and possibly to Nez Perce Tribal Lands. However, the program's main source of income includes selling the trout to a fish farm, Riverence, that turns the trout into food for zoos and aquariums.

"We are still one of the only, if not the only, college that has a commercial fish farm as well," Wagner said. "So, a lot of the other places have like wet labs and experiment areas that they can go to, but ours is a fully-functioning revenue producing facility. So, that's kind of a leg up that we've had on other programs in the country."

Wagner added the aquaculture program is one of the oldest in the country at about 50 years old. They have been in the Twin Falls area since the start.

"70% of the country's domestic trout is produced in three counties. It's Jerome, Gooding and Twin Falls County," Wagner said.

So, if you're in New York and you are ordering trout in a restaurant, there's a 70% chance it's coming from the Magic Valley. While the area is big on fish production, the program is on the smaller side.

"It kind of varies a little bit. There have been years where they've had up to 15, but then there's been other years where they've had like three to five. We're hoping for a consistent 10," Wagner explained.

Sure, that's a smaller class size, but it's certainly not short on passion or vision.

"I'm trying to expand the program so it's not just working at a hatchery. The thing I actually like the most about aquaculture is I don't just raise fish," Wagner said. "I'm someone that I don't like doing the same thing every single day. So, I can be feeding and sweeping one day, I can be preparing concrete the next day. I'm now a plumber or a carpenter. I'm working on being an electrician, I do data entry. I do research projects, I'm able to go to conferences. So, it's a very well-rounded job. If it's somebody who might not have an interest in one particular thing, they can try out aquaculture and they can be many different people at the same time."

Jones added that aquaculture is "the future of agriculture."

"It's the future of food production. We're running out of land, essentially," Jones said. "The next step is to move into water and fish is huge. So, that's a big, big one that for me is it's the future food."

While motioning towards the blue sky and birds in the air, Wagner said, "it's just nice to be here. You're down in the Snake River Canyon while you're learning something very unique. How do you beat that?"

Wagner said CSI students can graduate with their associate's degree and continue on to get a bachelor's degree in fisheries management, fish biology, nutrition and pathology.

The following is a list of jobs people have now, after going through the program: Business Owner, Hatchery Complex Manager, Fish Culturist, Biological Aide, Conservation Aquaculture Supervisor, Regional Fisheries Supervisor, Lab Technician, Snorkel Crew Technician and Research Intern.

These jobs are not limited to Idaho. They can take you all around the country.

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