Sustainable Aquaculture Program

Fostering a vibrant and innovative industry

Canada’s aquaculture industry is increasingly important to our economy, now contributing more than $1 billion to the national economy and accounting for close to 30 per cent of Canada’s fish and seafood production. Aquaculture has grown rapidly and with this growth comes responsibility.

We need to not only manage aquaculture for future generations but to foster a vibrant and innovative industry that remains globally competitive.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Sustainable Aquaculture Program was launched in 2008 to foster innovation and international competitiveness in Canada’s aquaculture industry.

This program has four key initiatives:

• Regulatory reform to create a transparent, efficient and well-coordinated governance and regulatory system for Canadian aquaculture.
• Scientific research to develop a basis for regulatory advice and establish performance-based environmental standards for all aquaculture operations.
• Innovation and Market Access Program to catalyze private-sector investment to improve industry sustainability and global competitiveness.
• Certification and market access initiatives to enable industry to meet rigorous international market requirements for sustainability certification, traceability, and other high-value attributes.

Learn more about how the Sustainable Aquaculture Program is helping industry to become more innovative and competitive, and view our action plan for a sustainable future.

• Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP)
• National Aquaculture Strategic Action Plan Initiative (NASAPI)