8613-NOC

Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers

(NOC 85102)
Annual Earnings
$56,311
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
No Formal Education
Job Openings
(2023-2033)
100

Career Overview

This group includes aquaculture support workers, marine plant gatherers, shellfish diggers and other labourers in aquaculture and fishing. Aquaculture support workers are employed by public or private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms. Marine plant gatherers and shellfish harvesters may be self-employed.

Duties

Aquaculture support workers perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Assist aquaculture technicians in the operation of fish hatcheries or other aquatic farms
  • Feed aquaculture stocks, vaccinate stocks, perform culling and marking or banding techniques and report any observed irregularities in stocks
  • Operate, maintain and clean pumps, filters, tanks and other aquaculture equipment and clean and maintain aquaculture enclosures
  • Keep daily records of water flow and fish samples
  • Grade and weigh aquaculture stocks
  • Prepare aquaculture stocks for market
  • May operate boats aquaculture operations

Marine plant gatherers perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Rake seaweed, dulse or Irish moss from beach, rocks or shallow water and load into a cart, wagon or other receptacles
  • Spread gatherings to dry and remove foreign objects
  • Transport gatherings to processing plant

Shellfish harvesters perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Dig clams from beds with spades, forks or other instruments, or collect oysters
  • Clean, sort and transport shellfish to market

 

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$56,311

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$38.46/hr
Median$27.00/hr
Low$18.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2023 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

425

% Employed Full Time

47%
Source: 2021 Census

Workers in this group often work in outdoor marine environments. They may also work in fish hatcheries or aquatic farms.

Career Pathways

Progression to other farm worker positions is possible with experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Job Titles

Aquaculture support worker
Clam digger
Dulse gatherer
Fish farm helper
Fish tagger
Fry marker
Marine plant gatherer
Oyster picker
Sea farm attendant
Seaweed gatherer
Shellfish harvester

Education, Training and Skills

  • Some secondary school education is usually required
  • Shellfish harvesters require commercial fishing licences

 

Education programs in B.C.

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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

54%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

51%
Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

50%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

50%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

50%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

49%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

49%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

48%
Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

46%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

45%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

425
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 0 0.0%
Kootenay 0 0.0%
Mainland/Southwest 60 14.1%
North Coast and Nechako 15 3.5%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 15 3.5%
Vancouver Island/Coast 335 78.8%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)

100
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo Not available Not available
Kootenay Not available Not available
Mainland/Southwest 20 0.9%
North Coast and Nechako Not available Not available
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan Not available Not available
Vancouver Island/Coast 80 0.7%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2023-2033)
Agriculture And Fishing80
Manufacturing10
Public Administration10
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.