Aquaculture site supervisor

Description

Aquaculture site supervisors supervise production processes in large-scale aquaculture operations and inspect aquaculture sites to maintain and improve performance. They maintain the health, safety and security of the workplace, develop management plans to reduce the risks from pests, predators and diseases and supervise both the disposal of bio and chemical waste and the maintenance of equipment and machinery.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to aquaculture site supervisor:

fish culture site supervisor
fish farm site supervisor
fish farm site manager
supervisor of aquaculture sites
fish culture site manager
fishery site supervisor

Minimum qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in aquaculture or a related field is generally the minimum required to work as an aquaculture site supervisor. Some employers may accept candidates with a lower degree and a significant work experience in this area.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Aquaculture site supervisor is a Skill level 3 occupation.

Aquaculture site supervisor career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to aquaculture site supervisor.

fire protection technician
fire inspector
construction safety manager
aeronautical information specialist
flight operations officer

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of aquaculture site supervisor. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of aquaculture site supervisor with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

aquaculture production manager
aquaculture husbandry manager
aquaculture recirculation manager
aquaculture harvesting manager
programme funding manager

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of aquaculture site supervisor.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of aquaculture site supervisor.

  • Maintain safety systems: Perform activities for the maintenance of fire fighting and related safety systems.
  • Maintain aquaculture water quality: Maintain water quality in ponds, lagoons and sluices.
  • Develop aquaculture strategies: Cultivate strategies for aquaculture plans based on reports and research in order to deal with specific fish farm issues. Plan and organise work activities in order to improve aquaculture production and tackle further problems.
  • Maintain aquaculture equipment: Supervise and maintain aquaculture equipment and machinery, such as containment systems, lifting gear, transportation gear, disinfection equipment, heating equipment, oxygenation equipment, electrical equipment, air lift pumps, submersible pumps, live fish pumps, vacuum pumps.
  • Supervise waste disposal: Supervise disposal of biological waste and chemical waste according to regulations.
  • Inspect aquaculture equipment: Inspect aquaculture harvesting tools and machinery to ensure that they work properly.
  • Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
  • Prepare work instructions: Organise work methodology and route of action for new tasks.
  • Establish site security routines: Set up security routines on site.
  • Oversee maintenance work: Oversee the landscaping maintenance work: mowing, strimming, spraying, weeding and pruning.
  • Identify risks in aquaculture facilities: Identify the hazards and evaluate the risks to health and safety in aquaculture facilities.
  • Select aquaculture equipment: Determine aquaculture equipment in accordance with the needs of the company.
  • Make time-critical decisions: Pursue optimal time-critical decision making within the organisation.
  • Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
  • Control aquatic production environment: Assess the impact of biological conditions such as algae and fouling organisms by managing water intakes, catchments and oxygen use.
  • Develop management plans to reduce risks in aquaculture: Develop a management plan to reduce the risks from pests, predators and diseases. Supervise implementation of plan, especially disease prevention measures, throughout the aquaculture facility.
  • Supervise aquaculture facilities: Supervise aquaculture facilities and identify equipment needs. Understand aquaculture equipment drawings, plans, and design principles of different containment systems.
  • Manage water flows and catchments: Manage water flows and catchments in ponds, lagoons and sluices.
  • Ensure aquaculture personnel health and safety: Make sure that health and safety procedures have been established and followed across all aquaculture facilities including cages. Ensure that personnel and general public are instructed and all work activities are carried out according to relevant health and safety regulations.
  • Develop contingency plans for emergencies: Compose procedures outlining specific actions to be taken in the event of an emergency, taking into account all the risks and dangers that could be involved, ensuring that the plans comply with safety legislation and represent the safest course of action.
  • Supervise waste water treatments: Supervise waste water treatment according to environmental regulations.
  • Provide on-site training in aquaculture facilities: Provide on-site training in aquaculture facilities, through instruction and demonstration of skills. Provide, implement and supervise a training development plan.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of aquaculture site supervisor. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of aquaculture site supervisor. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

ISCO group and title

3142 – Agricultural technicians


References
  1. Aquaculture site supervisor – ESCO
  2. Featured image: Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash
Last updated on January 31, 2023