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 2023. 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 and 13% from 2022 to 2023, while value increased by 1% in 2022 and dropped by 6% in 2023.

British Columbia remains the largest contributor to the Canadian aquaculture industry, producing 60 962 tonnes in 2023. However, for the first time since 1991, production in the province represented less than half of the national total, accounting for 42% of total volume and 44% of total value in 2023. This can largely be explained by a significant decrease in salmon production. In 2023 salmon farm closures in the Discovery Islands contributed to the province's lower salmon production, totaling just over 50,000 tonnes, down from over 86,000 tonnes in 2022. Values were also down, $500,000 in 2023 compared to  $870,000 in 2022. New Brunswick has been the leading aquaculture producer in the Atlantic since 1991, with 2022 being an exception. In 2023, aquaculture production in New Brunswick accounted 17% of total volume and 23% of total value – up from 7% for both volume and value in 2022.

Canadian aquaculture production is dominated by finfish, accounting for 73% of total volume and 90% of value in 2023. The majority of finfish production, by both volume and value, is salmon. In 2023, despite a drop in production of 24%, salmon production alone still accounted for 57% of total volume and 69% of total value.

Mussels and oysters are the most farmed shellfish. Mussel production represented 15% of total volume and 4% of total value in 2023, while oyster production accounted for 10% of total volume and 5% 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