Wow that limits your opportunities especially how California is making fish farmers jump through so many hoops these days just to stay in business. We're hearing on this board that many are either throwing in the towel or getting into the food market to avoid the hassle.
If you could just get away for a summer that would probably do it. Here in Indiana they have a biologist aid internship every summer with the DNR, and many other states do too. The competition is steep but I was able to be accepted with only a two year applied science degree. Of course the biologist I worked for that summer had to keep repeating the only reason I got in was I did a good job for another biologist with a creel survey. Apparently he had to keep making the point that my 2 year fisheries degree was inferior to a 4 year degree. Never mind my room mate has a degree in Marine biology and we were working with freshwater fish in Indiana! My roommate didn't know a bluegill from a bass!
If you could get your wife to accept a few months away from home it could open doors somewhere else.
