And responsibilities of the aquacultural engineering consultant

Consulting engineering is a $12 billion industry in the USA. It is controlled by specific laws and professional standards to protect clients and the public. Additionally, procedures for the selection of consultants are available to protect both parties. For many public agencies, the selection procedures are defined by law and bidding as part of these procedures is prohibited. The aquacultural engineering consultant (AEC) operates under the same rules as the consulting engineer but is part of a much smaller industry (about 0.1%). The AECs are characterized by their interest and experience in fish hatcheries and aquaculture systems, but most of all, by their ability to translate biological needs into facility designs in a professionally sound manner. Fees can be computed in a number of ways, but the choice of a method should be focused on obtaining the best services. A detailed discussion of selection procedures is included. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.