Aquaculture, 2024
Released: 2025-11-28
Aquaculture sales increase in 2024
Sales of Canadian aquaculture products and services rose 8.8% year over year to $1.4 billion in 2024, while product expenses increased 7.0%. Higher aquaculture sales in Newfoundland and Labrador (+41.9%) and New Brunswick (+11.2%) accounted for most of the national increase.
Canadian production of farmed finfish increased 11.6% year over year to 122 280 tonnes in 2024. The total value of farmed finfish was up 8.4% to $1.2 billion, despite a 2.9% decline in the average farmed finfish price.
Over the same period, Canadian farmed shellfish production declined 2.2% to 37 904 tonnes. The value of farmed shellfish increased to $134.6 million (+6.2%), due to an 8.5% increase in the average price of farmed shellfish.
Farmed finfish production in Atlantic Canada surpasses that of British Columbia
Farmed finfish production in the Atlantic provinces rose 18.5% year over year in 2024, with the biggest increases in Newfoundland and Labrador (+48.0%) and New Brunswick (+9.1%). For the first time since reporting began in 1991, the Atlantic provinces combined produced more farmed finfish than British Columbia.
In 2024, farmed finfish production in British Columbia increased 6.3% compared with the previous year. Given the increased finfish production in Atlantic Canada, British Columbia accounted for 44.7% of the national farmed finfish production in 2024, the lowest proportion since the beginning of the series.
Export quantities for farmed Atlantic salmon, including fillets, increased 15.9% to 74 719 tonnes in 2024. Export prices edged up 0.5% to $12.64 per kilogram, yielding a 16.5% increase in export value to $944.5 million. The United States accounted for 93.5% of total exports of Canadian farmed Atlantic salmon by quantity in 2024.
Prince Edward Island continues to lead shellfish industry in Canada
Shellfish production in Prince Edward Island, Canada's leading producer of farmed shellfish, increased 1.4% year over year to 20 582 tonnes in 2024. Farmed shellfish sales accounted for 9.5% of total sales of Canadian aquaculture products and services in 2024.
Mussel production in Prince Edward Island, the largest producer of mussels in Canada, edged up 0.4% year over year to 15 611 tonnes in 2024. In 2024, exports of mussels decreased 10.2% to 10 140 tonnes. The value of mussel exports decreased 10.0% year over year to $44.4 million in 2024, as the average price was relatively unchanged (+0.2%) from the previous year. Virtually all exports of Canadian farmed mussels by quantity were shipped to the United States (99.5%) in 2024.
British Columbia, the largest producer of oysters in Canada, produced 7 196 tonnes of oysters in 2024, down 2.9% from 2023. Over the same period, Canadian exports of oysters declined 7.1% to 5 433 tonnes. The total export value of Canadian oysters decreased 6.0% to $84.8 million in 2024, as the average export price increased 1.2%. Of the total exported oysters, 92.1% by quantity went to the United States.
Chart 1
Volume of finfish production
Chart 2
Value of finfish production
Chart 3
Export volumes of Atlantic salmon and Atlantic salmon fillets
Chart 4
Export values of Atlantic salmon and Atlantic salmon fillets
Note to readers
Production and value estimates for finfish and shellfish farmed in Nova Scotia in 2024 are preliminary. Tables 32-10-0107 and 32-10-0108 will be updated when final estimates are available.
Oyster exports include farmed and wild oysters.
Aquaculture production and value data are provided annually by each of the provincial ministries responsible for aquaculture. Producers must report their production and value as part of their provincial licensing agreements.
Canadian export statistics are obtained from administrative records.
Revenue, expense and inventory data come from the 2024 Annual Survey of the Aquaculture Industry.
The publication Aquaculture Statistics was discontinued on November 17, 2016. All the data for this product can be found in tables 32-10-0107-01: Aquaculture, production and value; 32-10-0108-01: Aquaculture economic statistics, value added account; and 32-10-0005-01: Aquaculture, exports of selected Canadian aquaculture products, by destination.
Contact information
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