Aquaculture Farmer

Specialisations within it

• Fish Farmer
• Hatchery Manager (Fish)
• Mussel Farmer
• Oyster Farmer
• Seafood Farmer

Duties

Published for unit group 1211 Aquaculture Farmers

• planning and coordinating the operation of hatcheries to produce fish fry, seed oysters, crayfish, marron and prawns taking into account environmental and market factors
• monitoring the environment to maintain optimal growing conditions
• identifying and controlling environmental toxins and diseases
• monitoring stock growth rates to determine when to harvest
• transporting fish, crayfish, marron, prawns and sticks of seed oysters to new tanks, ponds, cages and floating net pens
• directing and overseeing the harvesting, grading and packaging of fish, oysters and other aquatic stock
• organising the sale, purchase and transportation of fish stock
• maintaining and evaluating records of farming activities, monitoring market activity and planning production accordingly
• managing business capital including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management
• may select, train and supervise staff and contractors
• Occupation:
• 121111 Aquaculture Farmer

This is what the occupation is, not what a skills assessment requires. The assessing body applies its own criteria on top of this, and those criteria are not published here. Check them with the body itself.

Who assesses this occupation

Last confirmed against the department's list on 30 July 2026.

This occupation reads differently for the 186 and 482

Two editions of ANZSCO are current at once, and the department applies ANZSCO 2022 to the employer sponsored visas while everything above follows ANZSCO 2013.

The definition is identical in both editions, but the published duties are not:

• planning and coordinating the operation of hatcheries and grow-out operations taking into account environmental and market factors
• coordinating and overseeing strategies to monitor the environment to maintain optimal growing conditions, minimise the impact of operations on the environment and manage biosecurity and other risks
• coordinating and overseeing strategies to monitor and maintain the health, welfare and condition of aquatic stock
• overseeing and undertaking breeding, feeding and nutrition programs
• overseeing transportation of aquatic stock to new tanks, ponds, cages and floating net pens
• coordinating and overseeing harvesting, grading, processing and packaging operations for aquatic stock
• directing and overseeing general farming activities including the provision and maintenance of farming infrastructure and equipment
• organising the sale, purchase and transportation of aquatic stock
• maintaining and evaluating records of farming activities, monitoring market activity and planning production accordingly
• overseeing data collection and analysis and farm technology systems
• managing business capital including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management
• may select, train and supervise staff and contractors

If you are going for a 186 or a 482, this is the wording that governs you. Everything above governs the points tested routes.

Where this comes from

Definition and duties: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO
Assessing authorities and skilled lists: Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list

Vizard is not a registered migration agent and nothing here is migration advice. It is published government information, organised. For advice on your own situation, speak to a registered migration agent.