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Working in the BC Salmon Farming Industry

Salmon farming provides thousands of year-round jobs in coastal British Columbia. For many people, it's an opportunity for a challenging career and an excellent quality of life in a small and close-knit community located in a spectacularly beautiful part of the world.

The range of career options within the industry is wide, and working conditions are equally varied: from office work as a manager or administrator, to often very physically challenging outdoor work of various types.

About 2,800 people are directly employed in this industry, while indirect and induced employment is estimated at about 4200 jobs - a total of almost 6000 people!

After a recent provincial government decision to accept applications for new salmon farm tenures, the industry is poised for significant growth and capital investment over the next 10 years. Salmon farming is expected to eventually support a total of more than 12,000 full-time jobs in BC (both direct and indirect/induced).

Senior managers, scientists and technicians, veterinarians and fish health specialists, farm and hatchery workers, boat captains and deckhands, truck drivers, workers in manufacturing and processing facilities, administrators, marketers and transportation sector employees: all are part of the process of producing quality-farmed salmon and getting it to market.

Employment at hatcheries and farms is typically skilled and requires formal or on-the-job training (which there are many opportunities to obtain in BC). Many current farm and hatchery workers learned their trade through work experience, although as the industry matures, formal training is becoming more commonplace and sought after by employers.

Experience is an important part of salmon farming, and even after you graduate from a formal training program, you will still need to further develop the hands-on skills that a salmon farmer needs. Although day-to-day work is often routine, production sites are complex operations, and each employee is part of a team pursuing the highest standards of animal care and environmental responsibility.

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