Fisheries and Oceans Canada
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Aquaculture in Prince Edward Island
New life for rural communities
In Prince Edward Island, aquaculture operations are centred around several small, rural villages for which aquaculture provides a significant sources of year-round employment and income. PEI aquaculture includes blue mussels, eastern oysters, rainbow trout and Arctic char.
The total economic activity generated from aquaculture in PEI in 2007 was $60 million dollars. In PEI, aquaculture has created over a thousand full-time jobs and over $31 million in employment income, providing substantial socio-economic contributions to the coastal and rural communities where aquaculture takes place.
Benefiting rural communities
The bulk of aquaculture activity in PEI occurs in 20 bays and estuaries in the northern and eastern sections of the province. The communities benefiting from nearby aquaculture industry include:
Areas of aquaculture activity in Prince Edward Island
Click on image for larger map.
- Malpeque Bay
- New London Bay
- Murray River
- Tracadie Bay
- Boughton River
- Brudenell River
- Darnley Basin
- Rustico Bay
- St. Peter's Bay
- Cardigan Bay
- St. Mary's Bay
- Montague River
- Savage Harbour
- Hillsborough Bay
As well, mussel processing occurs in Morell, Orwell Cove, New London, and Borden-Carleton.
Aquaculture Activity and Impact
Aquaculture makes three important contributions to the local economy:
- it provides a year-round source of income and employment
- it is a geographically widely-distributed activity and accessible to those who prefer a rural lifestyle; and,
- it creates wealth in the local economy (rather than recirculating it) because aquaculture relies on foreign exports and on markets outside the region for its revenues.
Aquaculture Impact in Canada
Value of output $1,025.6 million |
NL |
NS |
PEI |
NB |
QC |
ON |
BC |
Canada |
GDP ($000s) |
||||||||
Direct |
20,000 |
22,800 |
42,800 |
69,100 |
8,200 |
7,480 |
151,100 |
321,480 |
Indirect |
8,400 |
10,600 |
6,400 |
47,200 |
2,500 |
4,080 |
167,900 |
450,400 |
Induced |
6,200 |
8,500 |
10,400 |
30,800 |
3,700 |
4,250 |
106,300 |
233,300 |
Total |
34,600 |
41,900 |
59,600 |
147,100 |
14,400 |
15,810 |
425,300 |
1,005,180 |
Employment (FTE) |
||||||||
Direct |
215 |
380 |
790 |
1,100 |
80 |
110 |
2,220 |
4,895 |
Indirect |
120 |
170 |
125 |
790 |
35 |
55 |
2,330 |
6,400 |
Induced |
70 |
120 |
250 |
530 |
45 |
51 |
1,410 |
3,200 |
Total |
405 |
670 |
1,165 |
2,420 |
160 |
216 |
5,960 |
14,495 |
Income ($000s) |
||||||||
Direct |
6,200 |
12,200 |
22,000 |
32,700 |
2,600 |
2,720 |
78,400 |
156,820 |
Indirect |
4,900 |
6,400 |
2,900 |
28,300 |
1,200 |
2,040 |
95,100 |
241,200 |
Induced |
2,200 |
4,800 |
6,400 |
16,800 |
1,230 |
1,530 |
50,400 |
107,900 |
Total |
13,300 |
23,400 |
31,300 |
77,800 |
5,030 |
6,290 |
223,900 |
505,920 |
Source: DFO (based on 2007 data)
* See the 2009 Economic and Socio-Economic Impact of Aquaculture in Canada report for more information about aquaculture in Prince Edward Island.
Blue Mussels
Eastern Oysters
