Henry Thorp
“It’s hard work and hard graft but the rewards and sense of job satisfaction are really great. There are heaps of opportunities if you want to grow.”
Farm Manager - Akaroa King Salmon
Like many people working in the sector, Henry Thorp never planned a career in aquaculture, but looking back, the path makes sense.
“I grew up diving and fishing in the Sounds —and I’ve always had a passion for the ocean and boats,” he says.
After leaving school, Henry worked as a builder before moving into diving and eventually becoming a scuba instructor. That skillset opened the door to aquaculture almost by accident.
“I did a couple of days’ contract work for Akaroa Salmon as a diver, then went overseas,” he explains. “When COVID happened, I came home and got back in touch with the General Manager I had worked for.”
What started as a few days a week soon turned into more.
“I came back as a diver, then it kind of morphed into more work over time. I became a farm technician as well and just kept learning and taking on more responsibility.”
Henry worked his way up through the operation and is now a Farm Manager based out of Christchurch. He shares a 4 on 4 off roster with another Farm Manager, ensuring there is always leadership on site.
“That’s important when you’ve got people, boats, infrastructure, and fish to look after,” he says.
Henry describes his role as a mix of hands‑on farming, leadership, and problem solving.
“I’m a salmon farmer, an aquaculture diver, and a farm manager,” he says. “We raise New Zealand King Salmon from smolt through to market.”
His day‑to‑day work covers staff and boat management, daily farm operations, and making sure everything runs smoothly.
“That’s everything from infrastructure and moorings through to managing diving staff,” he explains. “There’s heaps of variety. You’re not stuck doing the same thing every day.”
Akaroa Salmon operates its own hatchery in the Wairau area of Canterbury, with smolt delivered to Akaroa Harbour and then transferred out to the farm.
“Seeing the fish grow from smolt right through to market weight is a huge part of the job satisfaction,” Henry says.
“I really like working with the fish and the challenges that come with growing them,” he says. “Transporting fish between pens is a good example. If you muck it up, they’ll swim away.”
For Henry, the challenge is part of the appeal, together with the pace and complexity of the role.
“There’s alot going on here,” he says. “That’s what keeps it interesting.”
Henry’s career has been built through experience rather than formal study.
“I learned 100 percent on the job,” he says. “You never stop learning. I’m always keen to grow and expand my knowledge.”
He has completed his Skipper Restricted Limits qualification and enjoys building practical skills alongside leadership capability.
Henry was selected for the 2025 AQNZ Evolving Leaders programme and says the experience was valuable, particularly because of the connections it created.
“Working in Akaroa can feel isolated,” he says. “The opportunity to connect with other people becomes really important.”
Meeting others from across different parts of the aquaculture industry helped put challenges into perspective.
“You talk to people on the programme and everyone’s dealing with the same sorts of problems. There’s always something going on.”
He found the follow‑up support especially useful.
“The follow‑ups with Andrew Fox were great,” Henry says. “We’ve also got a WhatsApp group and check in every now and then.”
Henry is happy in his current role and values the balance the roster gives him, even with the challenges that come with staffing, moorings, and boat logistics.
“I’d like to grow more on the infrastructure side of farming,” he says. “Pen building and farm infrastructure interest me more than the science side.”
For anyone considering aquaculture, his advice is simple and honest.
“It’s hard work and hard graft,” he says. “But the rewards and sense of job satisfaction are really great. There are heaps of opportunities if you want to grow.”