Aquaculture Supervisor
An aquaculture supervisor oversees the day-to-day operations of fish, shellfish, or crustacean farms in Australian coastal or inland waters. They manage staff, monitor water quality and stock health, coordinate feeding and harvesting schedules, and ensure compliance with fisheries regulations and biosecurity requirements set by state and federal authorities.
What this job is
An aquaculture supervisor oversees the day-to-day operations of fish, shellfish, or crustacean farms in Australian coastal or inland waters. They manage staff, monitor water quality and stock health, coordinate feeding and harvesting schedules, and ensure compliance with fisheries regulations and biosecurity requirements set by state and federal authorities.
Are employers advertising this role?
Fewer than 50 vacancies were advertised nationally in the latest month. The numbers are too small to draw a reliable trend.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Monitor water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and salinity levels using calibrated instruments and adjust aeration or circulation systems to maintain optimal conditions. Observe farmed species for signs of disease, parasites, or stress, and implement treatment protocols or isolate affected stock to prevent stock losses. Supervise feeding schedules and portions, adjusting feed formulations based on growth rates, water quality, and seasonal factors. Schedule and coordinate harvesting, grading, and processing activities to meet production targets and market deadlines. Conduct daily health and welfare inspections of ponds, cages, or tanks and document observations in farm management systems. Direct site staff in net changing, cage maintenance, and equipment repairs using standard aquaculture tools and materials. Prepare biosecurity plans and enforce quarantine protocols to comply with state fisheries regulations and prevent disease outbreak between farm compartments. Maintain stock records including species, stocking densities, feed consumption, and mortality rates for reporting to farm management and regulatory bodies.
Who does this now
About 100 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
You'll be on-call for disease outbreaks and water quality crises that can wipe out entire stock in hours. The work is physically demanding, outdoors in all weather, and involves early starts. Pay is modest for the responsibility level, and career progression beyond supervisor is limited unless you move into farm management or business ownership.
Where the jobs are
Jobs concentrate around major aquaculture regions rather than evenly across Australia. Remote work is not an option.
Skills
- Attention to Detailcore
- Incident Reportingcore
- Inventory Trackingcore
- Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Record Managementcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Rostering and Scheduling Supportcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Written Communicationcore
- Active Listening
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Conflict Resolution
- Data Entry and Accuracy
- Goal Setting and Planning
- Process Improvement Identification
- Report Writing
- Supplier Communication
- Workflow Prioritisation
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
Want a hand with what comes next? The 12-week Sprint covers your resume, LinkedIn and interview practice, with up to three coach reviews of a targeted resume or an application from an Australian career coach, for A$299 paid once. Before you decide anything, you can read who we are or send us a question.