Demand for aquaculture farmers good
Opportunities for aquaculture farmers are good because the number of aquaculture farms is increasing and employers can find it hard to fill vacancies.
According to Aquaculture New Zealand, about 750 mussel farms, 150 oyster farms, and 25 salmon farms currently operate in New Zealand, employing around 1,000 people.
According to the Census, 405 aquaculture farmers and 228 aquaculture workers worked in New Zealand in 2018.
Three main employers of aquaculture farmers
Most aquaculture farmers work for one of three main employers:
- New Zealand King Salmon, which operates farms in the Marlborough Sounds, and produces about two-thirds of the country's farmed salmon.
- Sanford, which has mussel farms in Coromandel and Havelock, and king salmon farms in Kaitangata and Stewart Island.
- Moana New Zealand, which operates oyster farms across the North Island and top of the South Island, a hatchery and nursery in Nelson, and a blue abalone farm in Ruakaka.
A number of smaller businesses also operate throughout New Zealand in regional towns.
