Professional Qualifications
Aquality's staff is made up of Professional Biologist (P. Biol.), Biologist in Training (BIT), Professional Agrologist (P.Ag), Agrologist in Training (AIT), Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialist (QAES), and Authenticating Professional (AP).
Professional Biologist (P.Biol)
In 1991, the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists was registered under the Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act (POARA), and its members were granted exclusive right to the use of the title of Professional Biologist. Professional Biologists are required to demonstrate minimum levels of education, experience, and practical application, and to follow a Code of Ethics. They are also governed by responsibilities to the public, to their employers or clients, and to their profession. A history of the biological societies in Alberta can be found here.
Professional Agrologist (P.Ag)
The Alberta Institute of Agrologists was registered under the 2005 Agrology Profession Act, granting its members the right to the use of the title of Professional Agrologist. Professional Agrologist are required to demonstrate minimum levels of education, experience, and practical application, and to follow a Code of Ethics. They are also governed by responsibilities to the public, to their employers or clients, and to their profession.
Agrology is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the natural, economic, and social sciences related to environmental protection, horticulture, aquaculture, viticulture, rangelands, silviculture, agri-tech, and natural resources management, and other related areas.
Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialist (QAES)
In Alberta, some authorities have allowed for certain regulatory tasks and governmental functions to be delegated to qualified environmental specialists based on training, years of experience, certification, affiliation with certain organizations, insurance, etc. Under the Water Act Codes of Practice, Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialists (QAES) may be used to design and provide acceptable alternative designs to those specified in the Codes. A Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialists (QAES) is an individual with a post-secondary degree or technical diploma in biological sciences, or has educational equivalencies.
Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialists have the expertise and detailed knowledge of the aquatic environment, including fish and fish habitat, management, and assessment. QAES professionals have a great deal of knowledge in fisheries, aquatic environment assessment methods, and expertise in the mitigation measures required to maintain the aquatic environment’s effective capacity, such as fish habitats that may be harmed by activities to water bodies and shores of Alberta.
Authenticating Professional (AP)
The authenticating professional qualification is gained through professional experience and demonstration of competency, that allows you to review and sign off on reports, work plans, etc. within your area of expertise.
In providing their professional seal, this conveys a message of reliability to the regulators and to the public. The signer also takes on the professional responsibility for the work that was signed, whether it was created themselves, directly supervised or not. For Wetland practitioners that hold the authenticating professional designation, a list of requirements must be met for membership and to hold your standing within a PRO-10 organization in Alberta.
An Authenticating wetland professional must:
1) Be in good standing as a regulated member in their respective Professional Regulatory Organization.
2) Receive a declaration statement from an individual claiming competency, for one or more of the following authentication points:
- Wetland Assessments and Impact Reports
- Replacement design and monitoring plan
- Validation
- Verification
3) Receive a letter of recommendation from at least one authenticating wetland professional that includes endorsement of the individuals competencies and/or addressees the five year environmental and three year wetland experience practical work standard
4) Provide a copy of an approval number of an approved wetland-specific regulatory application made under the Alberta water act.
5) Provide a resume that clearly demonstrates five years of post degree practical environmental experience, and three years of practical Alberta wetland experience.
