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 2022. 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.

Canadian aquaculture has grown over time. From 1991 to 2022, total production volume grew from roughly 50,000 tonnes to 166,000 tonnes, while production value grew from $234 million to $1.3 billion.

The aquaculture industry observed a small decrease in production in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aquaculture production volume decreased by 9% from 2019 to 2020 while total value decreased by 15%, recovering again in 2021. From 2021-2022, total production volume decreased by 9% while total value increased by 1%.

Canadian aquaculture production is dominated by finfish, accounting for 76% of total volume and 91% of value in 2022. The majority of finfish production, by both volume and value, is salmon. In 2022, salmon production alone accounted for 65% of total volume and 81% of total value.

Mussels and oysters are the most farmed shellfish. Mussel production represented 14% of total volume and 3% of total value in 2022, while oyster production accounted for 9% of total volume and 5% of total value.

British Columbia remains the largest contributor to the Canadian aquaculture industry, accounting for 58% of total volume and 68% of total value in 2022. New Brunswick has been the leading aquaculture producer in the Atlantic since 1991. However, in 2022, New Brunswick observed a significant decrease in both production volume and value, representing only 7% of total volume and 7% of total value – down from 16% and 19%, respectively, in 2021. Instead, Nova Scotia was the largest aquaculture producer in 2022, accounting for 9% of total volume and 12% 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