Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers
Occupation · NOC 2021 85102 · Canada
- NOC 2021 code
- 85102
- TEER
- 5
- Positions on positive LMIAs, all lists
- 199
- Median wage, Canada
- C$22.00 per hour
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 73
OC<CANAQUACULTURE<AND<MARINE<HARVEST<LABOURE 851028<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<6
About this occupation
Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers include aquaculture support workers, marine plant gatherers, shellfish diggers and other labourers in aquaculture and fishing. Aquaculture support workers are employed by public or private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms. Marine plant gatherers and mollusk harvesters may be self-employed.
Example job titles
- aquaculture support worker
- clam digger
- dulse gatherer
- fish farm helper
- fish tagger
- fry marker
- marine plant gatherer
- oyster picker
- sea farm attendant
- seaweed gatherer
- shellfish harvester
Main duties
- This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Assist aquaculture technicians in the operation of fish hatcheries or other aquatic farms
- Feed aquaculture stocks, vaccinate stocks, perform culling and marking or banding techniques and report any observed irregularities in stocks
- Operate, maintain and clean pumps, filters, tanks and other aquaculture equipment and clean and maintain aquaculture enclosures
- Keep daily records of water flow and fish, shellfish and marine plant samples
- Grade and weigh aquaculture stocks
- Prepare aquaculture stocks for market
- Rake seaweed, dulse or Irish moss from beach, rocks or shallow water and load into a cart, wagon or other receptacles
- Spread gatherings to dry and remove foreign objects
- Transport gatherings to processing plant
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education is usually required.
- Shellfish harvesters require commercial fishing licences.
- Marine Emergency Duties certificate may be required for some occupations in this unit group.
Temporary foreign worker positions (LMIA)
Positions on positive LMIAs in ESDC employer lists, by year of the list.
Approved positions by year
Data table
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 50 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2024 | 40 |
| 2025 | 39 |
| 2026 | 6 |
- Atlantic Aqua Farms Ltd69
- Atlantic Aqua Farms28
- Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd.20
- 671743 NB Inc.14
- Hummingbird Cove Lifestyles Ltd.12
- Malpeque Bay Oyster Farms Ltd11
- PEI MUSSEL FARMS INC10
- Future nets & Supplies Ltd.7
- Huitres Aquador Inc.7
- 1306845 Alberta Ltd O/A Alpine Irrigation4
- Lighthouse Shellfish Ltd.4
- Creative Salmon Company Limited3
- Super Shell Enterprises Ltd.3
- Red Star Seafoods Ltd2
- W & R Fisheries Ltd2
Work permits
Work permit holders by year the permit took effect, mapped from NOC 2016 where the code has a single NOC 2021 successor (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP permits | IMP permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 |
| 2024 | 20 | 10 |
| 2023 | 40 | 0 |
| 2022 | 15 | 0 |
All work permits by year
Data table
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 40 |
| 2024 | 30 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 | 10 |
Permanent residence
Admissions of permanent residents by intended occupation and Express Entry invitations by occupation (IRCC).
New permanent residents by year
Data table
| 2025 | 5 |
Wages
Median wage by province and territory (2025 release). Hourly unless marked per year.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | C$17.00 | C$22.00 | C$36.06 |
| British Columbia | C$20.00 | C$30.00 | C$39.56 |
| New Brunswick | C$17.00 | C$20.00 | C$35.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | C$17.00 | C$25.35 | C$36.06 |
| Nova Scotia | C$16.50 | C$21.15 | C$35.00 |
| Quebec | C$19.77 | C$23.32 | C$32.62 |
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 73
- Vacancies advertised
- 241
- Median advertised minimum hourly wage
- C$20.00
Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more