Aquaculture Operations Supervisor

Career Guide

An Aquaculture Operations Supervisor runs day to day fish or shellfish farming operations. They lead on site teams, keep stock healthy, coordinate feeding and water quality routines, manage equipment and supplies, and ensure the farm meets safety and environmental requirements.

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Key Responsibilities

Supervise daily farm activities across ponds, tanks, cages, or hatchery areas
Assign work schedules and monitor task completion for technicians and labor crews
Oversee feeding routines and track feed usage against growth targets
Monitor animal health and coordinate treatment plans with veterinarians or health specialists
Track water quality and respond to changes that impact stock performance
Maintain records for mortality, growth, harvest, biosecurity, and inventory
Coordinate grading, transfers, and harvest operations to meet production plans
Plan and oversee routine maintenance for pumps, aerators, nets, and other farm equipment
Enforce health and safety practices and lead incident reporting
Support audits and inspections related to food safety, animal welfare, and environmental compliance
Work with procurement and logistics to ensure reliable supply of feed, seed stock, and consumables
Train new team members and build consistent work standards across shifts

Top Skills for Success

Team Leadership

Shift Scheduling

Safety Management

Process Improvement

Clear Communication

Water Quality Monitoring

Feeding Management

Stock Health Monitoring

Biosecurity Practices

Harvest Planning

Equipment Maintenance Planning

Regulatory Compliance

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Aquaculture Farm Manager

Hatchery Manager

Production Manager

Operations Manager

Health and Safety Manager

Transition Opportunities

Aquaculture Health Technician

Quality Assurance Supervisor

Supply Chain Supervisor

Environmental Compliance Specialist

Training Lead

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

BudgetingProduction ForecastingRoot Cause AnalysisTraining Program DesignRegulatory DocumentationBasic Data Analysis

Development SuggestionsAsk to own one measurable area such as feed conversion, survival rate, or harvest yield for a full production cycle. Build simple weekly reports, practice structured problem solving after losses or equipment failures, and partner with quality and compliance teams to learn audit ready documentation.

Market Intelligence Report

Aquaculture Operations Supervisor is part of the Fishing & Aquaculture category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 45,000 to 60,000

Mid LevelUSD 60,000 to 85,000

Senior LevelUSD 85,000 to 115,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand, supported by global seafood consumption, supply chain investment, and expansion of land based and offshore farming. Hiring is strongest in regions with established aquaculture clusters and processing capacity.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

MowiCooke AquacultureSalMarBakkafrostLeroy SeafoodAquaChileCermaqSkrettingCargill Aqua NutritionThai Union

Industry Sectors

Finfish FarmingShellfish FarmingHatcheriesRecirculating Aquaculture SystemsSeafood ProcessingFeed ManufacturingAquaculture Services

Recommended Next Steps

Build a one page weekly operations dashboard covering growth, mortality, feed usage, and key water quality readings

Lead a safety refresh for your site and standardize pre shift checks for high risk tasks

Create clear work instructions for feeding, sampling, and net or tank cleaning and use them to onboard new hires

Shadow a farm manager on planning activities such as stocking, grading, and harvest scheduling

Strengthen compliance readiness by running a mock inspection and closing any documentation gaps

Develop maintenance routines with checklists and spare parts tracking to reduce downtime