Canadian aquaculture operations are an important component of the nation’s seafood industry, contributing approximately 1/3 of its overall value.
Canada’s fish and shellfish farms produce salmon, trout, arctic char, mussels, oysters, clams, and other products.
Canada is the fourth-largest producer of farmed salmon in the world. Producers grow Atlantic and Chinook salmon.
Trout and char are also farmed, including rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (Salmo trutta), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).
Shellfish farming is also important to the Canada’s seafood production. British Columbia is Canada’s main producer of farm raised clams. Species include manila clam, varnish clam, littleneck, and geoducks. In Nova Scotia, shellfish farmers produce quahog and soft-shelled clams.
Mussels are grown in six provinces along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Farm-raised species include the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), bay mussel (Mytilus trossulus), and Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis).
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the lead federal department responsible for regulating and managing Canadian aquaculture operations.
Related Information