Many people assume fish comes from the ocean, but a growing amount is now produced through farming. This is called aquaculture—raising fish, shellfish, and seaweed in controlled environments like sea pens or tanks, mostly for food.
Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing areas in the global food industry. It’s all about producing seafood in a more sustainable and controlled way—and it’s creating loads of exciting career opportunities. The sector supplies around half of all the fish we eat globally. There are thousands of different types of aquaculture and species including shrimp, salmon, scallops, seaweed, sea urchins, frogs, and even ornamental species for home aquariums.
In Ireland, we farm species like salmon, trout, mussels, oysters, and seaweed. Our aquaculture sector is one of the biggest in Europe and keeps growing—especially in coastal areas where it provides vital jobs and supports local communities.
One of the biggest challenges? Keeping fish healthy. Diseases can spread fast, so workers need to be alert, knowledgeable, and ready to act. Another key issue is making sure the fish stay safely contained and don’t impact wild populations.
Aquatech (any technology that helps make seafood farming more sustainable) continues to grow as an important contributor to the Irish economy. Aquatech companies play an important role in creating technologies that make seafood farming more sustainable. Their innovations can improve how we breed, raise, and harvest fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. These companies operate in marine engineering, genetics, bioscience, feed additives, digital technologies, and health solutions. Many of their innovations are applied directly to global aquaculture—particularly in salmon and shrimp farming—while others are designed to meet the needs of Ireland’s shellfish and seaweed industries.
Seaweed is a major area of focus—it makes up a big part of the industry in terms of value, number of companies, and employment. Other fast-growing areas include bioscience, environmental services, and smart digital tools designed to make aquaculture more efficient and sustainable.
Governments across Europe, including Ireland, are focusing on aquaculture as a key part of their food and environmental strategies.
With growing demand for sustainable, healthy seafood, there’s a rising need for fresh and responsible ways to farm and manage our oceans. Aquaculture produces food and feed with a lower climate and environmental impact than other types of farming. Certain types of aquaculture systems also help preserve ecosystems and biodiversity
As the world looks for better, greener ways to produce food from the sea, Ireland’s aquatech sector is in a strong position to lead.
Working in Aquaculture
Fish farms need people from all kinds of backgrounds to work together. Even general crew members are highly skilled—monitoring water quality, feeding schedules, and fish behaviour to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Whether you're interested in science, the ocean, working outdoors, or tech, aquaculture has something for you. People in this fieled may work as:
- Farm Managers – running the day-to-day operations
- Marine Biologists – studying and protecting the health of fish and the marine environment
- Divers – checking underwater equipment and sea pens
- Skilled Technicians – spotting early signs of illness or stress in fish and shellfish
