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Aquaculture Canada: Facts and Figures
This document is also available for downloading or viewing here: Part 1 (PDF version, 2MB) Part 2 (PDF version, 2MB)
- Aquaculture Activity in Canada
- 1. Aquaculture Production and Value in Canada (1990-2009)
- 1.1 Aquaculture Production in Canada (1990-2009)
- 1.2 Total Value (2001-2009)
- 1.3 Principal Commercial Aquaculture Operations
- 2. Aquaculture Species in Canada
- 2.1 Production by Province and Major Species
- 3. Economic and Employment Contributions to Canada
- 4. Aquaculture Activity in Canada
- 4.1 Finfish
- 4.1.1 Salmon
- 4.1.2 Trout
- 4.2 Shellfish
- 4.2.1 Mussels
- 4.2.2 Oysters
- 4.3 Exports
Aquaculture Activity in Canada
1. Aquaculture Production and Value in Canada (1990-2009)
1.1 Aquaculture Production in Canada (1990-2009)
• Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production activity in the world (UN FAO)
• Aquaculture produces about 50% of global aquatic food production
• Canada ranks 26th in world aquaculture in terms of production and 20th in terms of the value of the production
• Canada is the 4th largest salmon producing country after Norway, Chile, and the UK
• Canadian aquaculture accounts for 14% of total seafood production (volume) and 35% of its value
• Canadian production has increased four-fold in the past 20 years
• The total economic or gross value generated by aquaculture is $2.1 billion
• The aquaculture industry generates over $1.0 billion in GDP
• The aquaculture industry provides 14,500 full-time jobs
• The aquaculture industry provides just over half a billion dollars in labour income
In 2009, Canadian farmed seafood was valued at $800M (155,000 tonnes). Canada exported 69% of its grown seafood, of which 97% was to the United States.
Source: Statistics Canada
1.2 Total Value (2001-2009)
In 2009, finfish accounted for 76% of total aquaculture production in Canada, of which 93% was salmon. Over two thirds (68%) of shellfish production in Canada comes from mussels.
Source: Statistics Canada
1.3 Principal Commercial Aquaculture Operations
The scope of aquaculture operations vary across the country depending upon the species being farmed, the environment (marine, freshwater) and the culture technologies being used (land based, water based).
2. Aquaculture Species in Canada
Aquaculture occurs in all provinces and in the Yukon Territory. Several marine finfish and shellfish species are well established on the east and west coasts, while freshwater trout (mainly rainbow) operations are found in almost every province.
| Finfish | Shellfish | Plant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Atlantic Salmon Steelhead Trout Cod |
Mussels Clams |
|
| Nova Scotia | Atlantic Salmon Arctic Char Halibut Steelhead Trout Rainbow Trout Tilapia |
Eastern Oysters Blue Mussels Clams Quahogs Abalone |
|
| Prince Edward Island | Rainbow Trout Arctic Char |
Blue Mussels Eastern Oysters |
|
| New Brunswick | Atlantic Salmon Rainbow Trout Steelhead Trout Cod Halibut |
Eastern Oysters Blue Mussels |
Seaweed |
| Quebec | Arctic Char Rainbow Trout Brook Trout Speckled Trout |
Eastern Oysters Blue Mussels Sea Scallops |
|
| Ontario | Rainbow Trout Arctic Char Tilapia Sturgeon |
||
| Manitoba | Rainbow Trout Arctic Char |
||
| Saskatchewan | Rainbow Trout Steelhead Trout |
||
| Alberta | Rainbow Trout Tilapia |
||
| British Columbia | Atlantic Salmon Chinook Salmon Coho Salmon Sturgeon Rainbow Trout Tilapia Sablefish |
Pacific Oysters Manila Clams Varnish/Savory Clams Blue Mussels Mediterranean Mussels Japanese Scallops |
Seaweed |
| Yukon | Arctic Char | ||
| Northwest Territories | Arctic Char |
Source: Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance http://www.aquaculture.ca/files/production-markets.php
2.1 Production by Province and Major Species
The quantity and value of national output is divided about equally between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, though British Columbia leads all other provinces, accounting for about 50% of total production value followed by New Brunswick (21%) and Newfoundland (12%).
Output by Province, 2009 — $800 million
Source: Statistics Canada
Output by Species, 2009 — 155,000 tonnes
Source: Statistics Canada
3. Economic and Employment Contributions to Canada
The total economic activity generated from aquaculture in Canada in 2007 was $2.1 billion dollars. Aquaculture creates thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in income, providing substantial socio-economic contribution to many coastal and rural communities where aquaculture takes place.
| Economic Indicator |
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 |
4. Aquaculture Activity in Canada
Today, aquaculture takes place in all ten provinces and the Yukon Territory. Production of Atlantic salmon, chinook salmon, trout, Arctic char, blue mussel, oyster and clam are well established. Several other species including halibut, sturgeon, tilapia, sablefish and scallop are at various stages of development.
4.1 Finfish
In 2009, finfish aquaculture accounted for 118,000 tonnes or three quarters of total aquaculture production in Canada. Finfish aquaculture is dominated by atlantic salmon which accounted for over 90% of finfish production valued at $653M.
Finfish Production (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
4.1.1 Salmon
Salmon farming accounted for $653M (value) in Canada in 2009. British Columbia is the largest salmon producer with a market value of $394M, followed by New Brunswick ($159M) and the rest of Atlantic Canada ($100M). In 2009, British Columbia and New Brunswick produced 93,000 tonnes of salmon, representing 85% of total salmon production in Canada.
Salmon Production (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
Salmon Value (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
4.1.2 Trout
Freshwater trout production takes place in almost every province. Over 60% of output (mainly rainbow trout) is produced in Ontario, most of it in the waters of Georgian Bay off Manitoulin Island.
Trout Production (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
4.2 Shellfish
In 2009, shellfish production was 34,000 tonnes ($64M value). Mussels accounted for two thirds of total shellfish production and half of the market value ($32M).
Shellfish Production (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
4.2.1 Mussels
Mussels account for over two thirds (68%) of all shellfish production in Canada. In 2009, Canada produced 24,000 tonnes of mussels with 77% coming from PEI.
Mussel Value (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
4.2.2 Oysters
In 2009, the total market value of oysters was just over $16M. British Columbia accounted for 40% of that market share followed by PEI (31%), New Brunswick (25%) and Nova Scotia (4%).
Oyster Production and Value (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
4.3 Exports
In 2009, Canada exported 69% of its grown seafood, of which 97% was to the United States. About 73,000 tonnes of salmon valued at a half billion dollars where exported to the US along with 10,500 tonnes of mussels ($30M) mainly from Atlantic Canada.
Total Exports (2001-2009)
Source: Statistics Canada
