Aquaculture Farmer

Job description

Workers will perform aquaculture farming duties on approximately 4,456 acres of leased water parcels located at East Moncleuse Bay, Hackberry Bay, Bayou Caillou, Bay Voisin, King Lake, Indian Bay, and Bay Charlie, in Louisiana

Duties involve the deployment, cultivation, monitoring, and care of oyster seed in specially designed cages within the natural water environment. Workers will monitor oyster growth rates, observe for discoloration, disease, or abnormalities, and maintain proper growing conditions to ensure healthy oyster development.

Duties include flipping and maintaining oyster cages on a bi-weekly basis to promote proper growth and prevent binding, repairing and maintaining cages damaged by aquatic predators, and transferring oysters into larger cage compartments as they grow until they reach commercial size.

Once oysters reach market size, workers will retrieve cages from the water parcels, open the cages, and clean the exterior shells by hosing off algae, debris, sand, and natural marine residue to ensure product quality before transport. Workers will place oysters in wet sacks for transportation from the water parcels to shore.

All duties are performed as part of the employer’s seasonal aquaculture farming operations conducted across designated water parcels. Workers will not shuck, open shells, or perform seafood processing plant duties.

Housing, tools, equipment, and transportation will be provided at no cost to workers. The employer will also provide scheduled transportation from worker housing to local stores for groceries and personal necessities.

Special Requirements

The job requires workers to perform outdoor aquaculture farming duties on leased water parcels in varying weather conditions, including exposure to sun, wind, rain, humidity, and coastal environmental conditions typical of oyster aquaculture operations.

Workers will regularly use employer-provided small work boats to access water parcel locations where oyster cages and aquaculture equipment are maintained, as the cages are located in deeper water areas and are not accessible by foot. The position involves physically demanding agricultural labor, including prolonged walking, standing, bending, stooping, lifting, carrying oyster cages and equipment, and performing repetitive manual tasks throughout the workday. Workers must be able to maintain balance while working on docks, boats, and water-based aquaculture work areas. Please see Addendum C