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Aquaculture Statistics

Aquaculture is the farming of finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants in both freshwater and saltwater environments. Privately owned and operated aquaculture facilities culture salmon and shellfish species primarily on ocean foreshore or deepwater sites. Freshwater aquaculture occurs inland with commercial hatcheries, "U-Catch-Em" operations and pond or lake grow-out enterprises. Aquaculture generates $116 million a year in GDP.

B.C. Aquaculture Harvests and Values
2004 - 2006
Species Harvest
('000 tonnes)
Farmgate Value
($millions)
2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006
Salmon 61.8 70.4 78.0 225.2 318.3 407.4
Shellfish 9.9 10.1 9.4 15.9 18.0 17.9
Cultured Other1 0.2 0.4 0.7 1.6 2.7 3.6
Total 71.9 80.9 88.1 242.7 339.0 428.9

1. "Cultured Other" includes marine plants, plankton, freshwater trout and all non-salmonid fish species cultured in fresh and marine waters.

Source: 2006 British Columbia Seafood Industry Year In Review

  • In 2006, the B.C. aquaculture sector produced 88,100 tonnes of fish and shellfish and generated $428.9 million in farmgate value. 

  • British Columbia is the fourth largest producer of cultured salmon in the world after Norway, Chile, and the United Kingdom.

  • Atlantic salmon and chinook are the predominant salmon species cultured in B.C.

  • Primary shellfish species cultured in B.C. include: Pacific oysters, Manila clams and scallops.

  • Other species currently being cultured in limited or experimental quantities include: Arctic char, sablefish, sturgeon, mussels and geoduck clams.

  • Marine farm sites rearing primarily salmon, oysters and clams are dominant in the B.C. aquaculture industry in terms of relative share of sites (80%), production (99%) and value (99%). 


Updated: October 3, 2007

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"" Yearly Quick Facts

Salmon Culture

Shellfish Culture

Freshwater Culture

Marine Plant Culture


"" 1997-2006 Data Tables and Graphs

tablesgraphs
View time series data for the Culture and Capture fisheries.


"" Other Data

Average Farmgate Prices

Cultured Species List

2003 Employment Survey Results

Aquaculture Licensing Statistics

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External Links

Ministry of Agriculture & Lands

Fisheries & Oceans Canada

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