Aquaculture production quantities and value
In this section, you will find data provided by Statistics Canada on the volume and value of aquaculture production from 1986 to 2024. Data are organized by species and province.
- From 1986-1990, the species were divided by Finfish and Shellfish, and organized under the following categories: Atlantic, Chinook, Coho, Trout, Steelhead, Clams, Oysters, Mussels, and Scallops. From 1991 onward, salmon are grouped under a single category.
- From 1996-2012, re-stocking was added as a separate category. Starting in 2013, sales to outfitters are no longer provided separately and are included in trout.
Historically, aquaculture production has been steady, averaging 192,000 tonnes annually leading up to the pandemic. While a small drop in production occurred due to COVID-19, quantities recovered back to pre-pandemic levels in 2021. However, since then aquaculture production has declined, with production volume down 11% from 2021 to 2022, 13% from 2022 to 2023, and up 10% from 2023 to 2024, while value increased by 1% in 2022, dropped by 6% in 2023, and increased again by 8% in 2024.
British Columbia remains the largest contributor to the Canadian aquaculture industry, producing 64,154 tonnes in 2024. However, for the second year time since 1991, production in the province represented less than half of the national total, accounting for 40% of total volume and 41% of total value in 2024. This can largely be explained by a significant decrease in salmon production. Salmon farm closures in the province combined with the mandatory shutdown of open-net pen farms by 2029 contributed to the province’s lower salmon production, totaling a little under 55,000 tonnes, up from just over 50,000 tonnes in 2023, but down from over 86,000 tonnes in 2022. Values were also down, $527,000 in 2024 compared to $523,000 in 2023 and $871,000 in 2022. New Brunswick has been the leading aquaculture producer in the Atlantic since 1991, with 2022 being an exception. In 2024, aquaculture production in New Brunswick accounted for 17% of total volume and 23% of total value.
Canadian aquaculture production is dominated by finfish, accounting for 76% of total volume and 90% of value in 2024. The majority of finfish production, by both volume and value, is salmon. In 2024, despite a sharp drop in production since 2022, salmon production alone still accounted for 55% of total volume and 65% of total value.
Mussels and oysters are the most farmed shellfish. Mussel production represented 13% of total volume and 3% of total value in 2024, while oyster production accounted for 10% of total volume and 6% of total value.
Aquaculture production quantities and value:
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
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