Training and recruitment for fishery officers

Our Fishery Officer Career Progression Program recruits successful candidates from the fishery officer selection process.

On this page

• About training
• Training allowance, salary and benefits
• Recruitment projections

About training

You’ll begin as a cadet and progress through the various competency stages. This training takes about 34 months.

Classroom training takes approximately 19 weeks. You’ll gain skills in areas such as:

• fishing gear
• fish identification
• acts and regulations
• marine emergency duties
• enforcement methods and use of force, including police defense tactics, firearms training and mandatory exposure to pepper spray

Training currently takes place at the Atlantic Police Academy in Summerside, PEI.

Training allowance, salary and benefits

Cadets receive an allowance of $350 per week during the classroom training.

Your allowance will be deducted at source for:

• income tax
• room and board ($90)
• employment insurance (EI)
• the Canada/Quebec pension plan

Cost

You may be required to reimburse part of the travel, room and board, and other costs related to the classroom training if you:

• voluntarily leave the classroom training program before its completion
• successfully complete the classroom training but refuse a fishery officer position
• accept a fishery officer position but voluntarily leave before completing at least 30 months of employment

Salary

After successfully completing the classroom training, you’ll be appointed to a GT-02 fishery officer position. You’ll then have to successfully complete 30 months of field training in order to be appointed to a GT-04 position.

Associated salary scales are: 

1. GT-02 ($59, 518 – $67, 276)
2. GT-03 ($66, 559 - $75, 427)
3. GT-04 ($74, 995 - $85, 266)

Fishery Officers receive an annual Fishery Officer allowance of $6,500 and a First Aid allowance of $300 in addition to their basic salary.

Benefits

Once you become a public service employee with 6 months of experience, you’re entitled to receive the following benefits.

• Pension and insurance benefits
• Public Service Health Care Plan
• Public Service Dental Care Plan

Recruitment projections

We anticipate staffing more than 120 fishery officer positions over the next two years (2024 to 2025).