The aquaculture industry is involved in the production of fin-fish (mainly salmon and trout) and shellfish.  The industry has a mix of businesses, the majority of which are micro businesses and small and medium enterprises.  There are a few larger enterprises with turnovers in excess of £5 million.

Total UK employment in the industry is 1,812 full-time and 696 part-time staff.  There are over 1,000 businesses in the industry, contributing £500 million to Gross Domestic Product.

The salmon farming industry provides most of the full-time aquaculture employment in Scotland.  The farming of trout provides employment across the UK with over a hundred trout farms registered with the British Trout Association.  The production of most shell fish including mussels, oysters, scallops and clams is centred on Scotland and Ireland.  England and Wales produce clams and oysters, and fresh water crayfish are farmed on a small scale in Southern England.  There is growing production of other marine finfish particularly in Scotland cold water species and as a result employment opportunities are growing.

Key statistics on the industry:

• 88.9% of businesses employ less than 10 people
• 77% of proprietors are male
• 60.4% of staff are female
• 88% of the workforce are aged 16-44 years
• 11% of staff are aged over 45 years
• 15.6% of all establishments report vacancies
• 13.3% report hard-to-fill vacancies, and 6.7% report that that these are because of skill shortages

Specific future skills needs:

• business and general management
• increased scientific, husbandry and quality assurance skills
• technological knowledge and skills  as larger fish farms are automated
• increasing demand for multi-skilled staff who can work across the range of operations involved in fish production
• greater understanding of current environmental and sustainable development issues 
• flexibility, initiative and willingness to learn are also seen as increasingly important

Overall, the level of skills needed by fish farm workers is expected to increase.  20% of employers have identified skills gaps among their staff, including: job-specific skills; communication; and problem-solving. There is an increasing demand for multi-skilled staff.

In North Wales, engineers are in short supply and difficult to recruit.

Industry drivers affecting future work and employment include:

• the promotion of sustainable development of the rural environment and communities
• the need for higher professional standards and duty of care now required of all people handling animals
• new health and safety legislative requirements
• the legal framework for the protection, improvement and sustainable use of water resources both inland and coastal
• the enhancement of biodiversity
• changing business practices, such as globalisation and diversification
• increasing consumer demands for quality assurance
• changing demographic and labour trends affecting recruitment and retention
• technological advancements

Source: Sector Skills Agreement Stage 1: Key Drivers of Skill Demand 2005, Sector Skills Agreement Stage 1: Annex 2.7 2005 and Aquaculture Industry report 2005

For regional distribution of businesses and employees in the industry see:

Proportion of aquaculture businesses and workforce by region and nation, 2005