Canada's Fisheries Fast Facts 2012

Canadian Fisheries Fast Fact is an overview of key national and regional statistics relating to aquaculture, commercial fisheries, recreational,fishing and trade. The brochure also contains additional statistics regarding species and international trade.

National Overview

Principal Statistics 2010 and 2011

Gross Value of Outputs ($'000)

Commercial sea and freshwater fisheries landings	2,165,391
Aquaculture production	845,598
Seafood product preparation & packaging revenues1	3,969,355

Employment (number of persons)

Commercial fish harvesters and crew	49,609
Aquaculture	3,292
Seafood product preparation & packaging2	29,745

Commercial Seafisheries

Total volume of landings (metric tonnes)	850,533
Total value of landings ($'000)	2,107,402

Commercial Freshwater Fisheries

Total volume of landings (metric tonnes)	25,505
Total value of landings ($'000)	57,989

International Trade Statistics ($'000)

Total value of fish and seafood exports	4,097,299
Total value of fish and seafood imports	2,687,281
Trade balance	1,410,018

[1] Based on 2010 data (2011 data not available at time of publication)
[2] Based on 2010 data (2011 data not available at time of publication)

Regional Overview³

Landings and Production Statistics, 2011

Commercial Sea and Freshwater Fisheries

	Pacific	Inland	Atlantic	Canada
Number of registered fishing vessels (2010)4	2,777	100	17,207	20,084
Total volume of landings (metric tonnes)	146,628	25,505	703,906	876,039
Total value of landings ($'000)	278,688	57,989	1,828,714	2,165,391

Aquaculture

	Pacific	Inland	Atlantic	Canada
Number of aquaculture establishments (2012)	182	88	363	633
Total volume of production (metric tonnes)	85,270	5,556	72,210	163,036
Total value of production ($'000)	465,000	27,181	353,417	845,598

Recreational Fisheries Statistics, 2010

	Pacific	Inland	Atlantic	Canada
Number of active adult anglers	514,329	1,860,767	912,507	3,287,603
Fishing effort ('000 days fished)	5,868	24,775	12,698	43,340
Harvest ('000 fish kept)	3,998	26,715	31,999	62,711
Direct expenditures ($'000)	614,757	1,341,143	563,533	2,519,433
Direct investments ($'000)	663,214	1,415,029	873,979	2,952,222

[3] Atlantic = Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec. Inland = Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and territories; Pacific = British Columbia.
[4] Inland vessel count is for Ontario Great Lakes only

Species Highlights

Commercial Seafisheries Landings by Species Groups and Region, 2011

	Atlantic	Pacific	Canada
Total Volume of Landings (metric tonnes)	703,906	146,628	850,534
Groundfish	88,616	89,975	178,591
Pelagics	183,785	46,385	230,170
Shellfish	413,590	10,256	423,846
Other	17,915	12	17,927
Total Value of Landings ($'000)	1,828,714	278,688	2,107,402
Groundfish	169,987	99,584	269,571
Pelagics	87,377	76,972	164,349
Shellfish	1,557,707	102,130	1,659,837
Other	13,643	2	13,645

Aquaculture Production, Selected Species, 2011

	Volume (metric tonnes)	Value ($'000)	Main Producing Province
Salmon	102,064	606,775	British,Columbia
Mussels	25,509	38,853	Prince,Edward,Island
Oysters	10,880	18,694	British,Columbia
Trout	6,511	35,300	Ontario

International Trade Statistics

International Trade in Fish and Seafood Products, 2011 and 2012

Top Product Exports, by Species

	Volume (metric tonnes)		Value ($'000)
	2011	2012	2011	2012
Lobster	56,420	59,605	1,027,308	1,086,045
Snow/Queen Crab	49,466	50,099	613,449	550,672
Atlantic Salmon	71,923	88,213	479,370	506,217
Shrimp	90,171	86,214	394,071	386,223
Herring	44,698	36,383	126,013	131,867
Total Exports, All Species	609,183	593,454	4,097,299	4,138,292

Top Product Imports, by Species

	Volume (metric tonnes)		Value ($'000)
	2011	2012	2011	2012
Shrimp	58,910	54,679	517,080	488,250
Lobster	26,866	31,330	223,753	228,008
Skipjack/Bonito Tuna	34,881	34,197	138,971	170,689
Sockeye Salmon	11,636	14,594	92,507	119,027
Scallops	5,216	5,045	81,347	86,120
Total Imports, All Species	522,696	530,184	2,687,170	2,763,127