The Aquaculture industry grows and harvests farmed seafood, including shellfish and finfish. Aquaculture also drives a thriving processing, packing, shipping, and export industry.
The PEI Aquaculture Alliance is an industry association that represents three separate industries: mussel, oyster, and finfish growers. The Alliance helps members promote the aquaculture industry and is a voice to speak with government about the issues that affect members.
Aquaculture provides jobs year-round, but there can be seasonal variations in work volume. The weeks running up to Christmas can be very busy, but winter can be a low period. Processors are still in operation, but once the ice sets in, labour work is cut back. In spring, things gear up again.
Students can earn a good amount of money during the summer and during the school year because of the many hours of work available, and wages are increasing a bit each year.
Summer Student Job Bonus is offered to encourage students to work in the seafood and agriculture sectors.
Job titles in the Aquaculture industry:
- Aquaculture Workers
- Biologist
- Boat Captain/Operator
- Boat Crew/Worker/Helper/Mussel Socker
- Machine/Heavy Equipment Operator
- Maintenance Worker/Manager
- Plant/Processing/Production Worker, including Graders, Strippers, Packers and Baggers
- Plant/Production Supervisor
- Quality Control
- Research and Development Scientists
Education options
- UPEI – Canadian Aquaculture Institute
- Nova Scotia Community College – Ocean Technology
- Dalhousie University – Aquaculture
PEI Aquaculture news you can use:
- Cascumpec Bay Oyster Co. Meet Martin O’Brien — entrepreneur, oyster farmer, and champion of sustainable aquaculture. What began as a small family operation has grown into a boutique PEI brand shipping premium oysters across Canada and now setting sights on global markets.
- Older adult loneliness will cost Canada billions – lifelong career development can change that
- PEI’s Top Industries: The Backbone of our Economy
- 2026 employment opportunities across PEI in the aquaculture & fisheries industries
- Canada’s Onda partners with Brazilian facility on whiteleg shrimp trials
- Government of Canada and Province of Prince Edward Island fund projects under the Atlantic Fisheries Fund
- Food Bloggers of Canada Discovery Tour hosted by Food Island Partnership
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