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.

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.

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

1
Build a one page weekly operations dashboard covering growth, mortality, feed usage, and key water quality readings
2
Lead a safety refresh for your site and standardize pre shift checks for high risk tasks
3
Create clear work instructions for feeding, sampling, and net or tank cleaning and use them to onboard new hires
4
Shadow a farm manager on planning activities such as stocking, grading, and harvest scheduling
5
Strengthen compliance readiness by running a mock inspection and closing any documentation gaps
6
Develop maintenance routines with checklists and spare parts tracking to reduce downtime