It’s time to look at a Canadian industry that:
- Contributes more than $9 billion to the national GDP,
- Holds some of the world’s highest levels of third-party sustainability certifications,
- Supports over 90,000 jobs in local, coastal, and Indigenous communities, and
- Exports to more than 130 countries.
It’s Canada’s aquaculture industry, a thriving sector that the Fisheries Council of Canada indicates is “safe, sustainable and focused on ocean stewardship.”
Aquaculture is defined as “the farming of fish and seafood in fresh or saltwater,” and occurs all across the country – in all provinces and the Yukon Territory. Canada’s largest aquaculture sectors include salmon, mussels, trout, oysters, and clams, although numerous finfish and shellfish species are farmed across the country. While most operations are found on the country’s east and west coasts, freshwater trout operations are found in almost every province.
Of all the species farmed in Canada, salmon is by far the most popular. Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 2021 data puts that year’s aquaculture value at $1.344 billion, with finfish accounting for well over three quarters of that total ($1.222 billion), and shellfish accounting for $122 million. Salmon was by far the most abundant finfish (over 120,000 tonnes), followed by trout (9,366 tonnes). In the shellfish category, mussels were the biggest product (over 22,500 tonnes), followed by oysters (17,344 tonnes), and clams (2,216 tonnes). British Columbia was by far the largest producer of salmon (over 84,000 tonnes), and Prince Edward Island harvested the lion’s share of mussels (more than 17,000 tonnes). Combined, the Atlantic provinces (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador) dominated shellfish production (over 32,000 tonnes).
The Fisheries Council calls Canada “a water nation… [with] the potential to be a global leader in sustainable seafood production.” In addition to its certifications, 94% of Canadian fisheries are harvested at sustainable levels. But the industry’s cachet revolves around more than just sustainability; seafood contains heart-healthy proteins, fats, and nutrients, and authorities recommend at least two seafood servings per week to reap these benefits.
Companies offering products and/or services to the aquaculture industry may find opportunities in the Canadian market.
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