Fact Sheet - Aquaculture in Canada - 2006 Update

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**This article was produced for the AquaNor '07 newsletter to provide an update on Canadian aquaculture events and activities since 2005. AquaNor is a pre-eminent international aquaculture tradeshow held biennially in Trondheim, Norway.

Aquaculture is relatively new to Canada and occupies a significant position in the seafood production sector comprising approximately one quarter of all Canadian fisheries and aquaculture production. Canada produced 154 million tonnes of cultured fish and seafood valued at C$715 million in 2005.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production activities in the world, a trend that is certainly true in Canada. Aquaculture in Canada has grown considerably over the past 10 years to keep pace with consumer demand for fresh, high quality fish. Demand for seafood in North America alone is expected to increase by 40% by 2010. In Canada, salmon is the most prevalent species grown, though shellfish farming has shown steady growth. Harvest declines in the traditional fishery also suggest an increasing role for aquaculture in meeting the needs of the marketplace.

There are aquaculture operations in every Canadian province and in the Yukon Territory.  Canada's aquaculture industry offers many economic benefits and a variety of challenging career choices for people who choose to live in remote, rural or coastal communities. Fish farms have become a mainstay in many communities across Canada. The industry and associated services provide some 14,000 full-time, year-round jobs across Canada.

Canada is well positioned to benefit from sustainable aquaculture. Canada has an extensive coastline and productive salt and freshwater resources, a reputation for high quality and safe seafood products, proximity to the U.S. market, and a highly skilled and educated work force.

The Government of Canada recognizes the potential aquaculture can contribute to society and has made sustainable aquaculture development a priority. Responsibility for aquaculture management and development is shared between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. Both levels of government work to ensure that the legislative and regulatory framework for aquaculture is responsive to the public's and industry's needs. An integrated approach of strong management, scientific research and strategic communications supports government's oversight of the aquaculture industry.

Some recent, tangible examples of this approach include the launch of a citizen-focused aquaculture website, www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture, in June 2006. The design and content of the website were driven by feedback received during comprehensive focus group research. The objective of this website is to provide accurate, balanced information about the Canadian aquaculture industry, and how it is managed, to encourage people to make informed decisions.

Also, in October 2006, the Government of Canada and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador contributed $10 million toward a multi-partner, $155 million investment to expand salmon farming to the south coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. This joint investment with Cooke Aquaculture will lead to a stronger industry and create an immediate and long-term economic boost to communities on the south coast of the province.

Finally, scientific research provides the foundation for Canada's federal and provincial governments to make informed decisions when developing public policy on aquaculture practices, regulations and environmental performance measures. New information generated from peer-reviewed scientific research builds on the existing body of knowledge and provides scientific advice to support decision-making to manage the industry. Canada has seen some significant and exciting progress on several innovative scientific research and development projects funded, in part, through Canada's Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP).

With the support of ACRDP, academia and industry, research initiatives on developing species such as the Atlantic halibut aquaculture research in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and the Cod Broodstock and Genome Project in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador are well underway. Over 100,000 juvenile cod were transferred to net cages in the Bay of Fundy in 2006.

Two research papers related to farmed-wild fish interactions and food safety, two high-profile issues in Canada, were published in 2006. The first, "Exceptional marine survival of pink salmon that entered the marine environment in 2003 suggests farmed Atlantic salmon and Pacific salmon can coexist successfully in a marine ecosystem on the Pacific coast of Canada" was published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science. The second study entitled, "Flesh Quality of Market-Size Farmed and Wild British Columbia Salmon" was published in Environmental Science and Technology.

Progress continued on Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture projects on both coasts. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) completed the five-part series entitled, "A Scientific Review of the Potential Environmental Effects of Aquaculture in Aquatic Ecosystems" and will soon launch the Centre for Integrated Aquaculture Science, to help deliver an integrated approach to aquaculture science involving both production and ecosystem sustainability expertise. Finally, collaboration in the Canada/Norway/US Trilateral Aquaculture R&D Cooperation Initiative that began at Aqua Nor '05 will continue this year to improve information sharing in feed, fish health, wild/farmed interactions, and genomics research.

Fish and shellfish farming present an innovative approach to harvesting food from our waters. Canadians have a successful history of finding solutions and sustainable aquaculture is part of our fisheries future.