Economic Benefits: Aquaculture in Canada: Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance

Aquaculture in Canada > Economic Benefits

Economic Benefits

Canadian Aquaculture: An Important Economic Contributor

Aquaculture is a natural choice for Canada. Not only does Canada have the world’s longest coastline – but it also has the largest freshwater system and the world’s largest tidal range.

The Canadian aquaculture industry has become an important contributor to Canada’s economy. In 1986, Canadian aquaculture production amounted to only 10,488 tonnes, valued at $35 million; by 2006, production had grown to 171,829 tonnes with a value of over $912 million.

Aquaculture now accounts for 14% of total Canadian fisheries production and 33% of its value. Farmed salmon is British Columbia’s largest agricultural export product - and the largest crop in the New Brunswick agri-food sector.

A Truly National Industry

Aquaculture contributes to the economies of all Canadian provinces – as well as in the Yukon. Over 8,000 Canadians are directly employed in aquaculture – most of them full time. The aquaculture supply and services sector creates an additional 8,000 jobs. Two-thirds of all workers are under the age of 35.

The largest aquaculture producing provinces are:

	British Columbia	New Brunswick	Newfoundland & Labrador	Nova Scotia	Prince Edward Island	Ontario	Quebec
Aquaculture Production Value	$426 million	$250 million	$60 million	$40 million	$32 million	$16 million	$13 million
Jobs Created	> 3600 direct 4000 indirect	2000 direct 2500 indirect	460 direct and indirect	900 direct	2000 direct and indirect	230 direct	310 direct

Prosperity for Canadian Coastal Communities

Over 90% of all direct and indirect jobs are located in rural, coastal and Aboriginal communities. Aquaculture development has proven to be a revitalizing social and economic force in these communities. It provides meaningful year-round employment and a reason for youth to remain in their rural communities.

Canadian coastal communities experiencing economic revitalization through aquaculture development include:

Newfoundland	Bay d'Espoir	Salmon, Steelhead, Cod
	Notre Dame Bay	Mussels
	Trinity Bay	Mussels
	Fortune Bay	Salmon
Nova Scotia	Bras d'Or Lake	Salmon, Steelhead
	Mahone Bay	Mussels
New Brunswick	Bay of Fundy	Salmon
	Northumberland Strait	Oysters, Mussels
	Acadian Peninsula	Oysters, Mussels
Prince Edward Island	Murray River	Mussels
	New London Bay	Mussels
	Malpeque Bay	Oysters, Mussels
Québec	Îles-de-la-Madeleine Gaspe Bay Bay des Chaleurs	Mussels, Scallops
Ontario	Manitoulin Island	Rainbow Trout
Saskatchewan	Lake Diefenbaker	Rainbow Trout
British Columbia	Campbell River	Salmon
	Clayoquot Sound	Salmon
	Quatsino Sound	Oysters, Clams
	Fanny Bay	Oysters
	Baynes Sound	Oysters, Clams
	Queen Charlotte Strait	Salmon
Yukon	Whitehorse	Arctic Char

Charlotte County, New Brunswick - An Aquaculture Success Story

Once hard hit by unemployment, the economy of Charlotte County, in southwest New Brunswick, has been economically transformed by aquaculture.

Aquaculture now accounts for more than 3,000 full-time jobs in the local area, representing 25% of the entire workforce. Direct employment wages, salaries and benefits expenditures are estimated at $47 million. In the related supplies and services industries - such as boat building, net and cage manufacturing, machine shops, etc. - it is estimated that an additional 2,900 jobs have been created. These positions add close to $46 million to regional payrolls.

On the island of Grand Manan alone, there are approximately 240 direct and indirect full time, year round jobs that are related to the salmon farming industry. Projections indicate that a 30% growth in employment can be realized in the next few years - bringing 73 new jobs and an additional $1.3 million in wages to the island. Tax revenues to New Brunswick from the salmon farming industry on Grand Manan now exceed $4.5 million.

“Be it Resolved that the Village of Grand Manan supports and encourages the continued growth and diversification of the Aquaculture Industry within Southern New Brunswick.”
Resolution of the Grand Manan Village Council, 2000

Sustainable Development for First Nations

According to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, many First Nations people live in Third World conditions due primarily to chronic high unemployment. The capacity of aquaculture development to significantly impact the economies of First Nations communities is a documented fact: in British Columbia, aquaculture has helped the Kitasoo First Nation reduce unemployment from 80% to nearly zero.

In British Columbia, 21 First Nations are engaged in shellfish aquaculture activities and 14 First Nations are engaged in finfish aquaculture. First Nations in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada are also pursuing aquaculture initiatives.

A preliminary analysis conducted for the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada determined that approximately:

61 coastal First Nations have access to sites which could support salmon farms
130 First Nations may have the potential to develop trout farms
123 First Nations have access to sites with the potential for clam, mussel, and/or oyster farming

Kitasoo First Nation: A Salmon Farming Success Story

Located on BC’s central coast, the Kitasoo First Nation relied for decades on the economy of the commercial salmon industry – and faced extreme economic hardship when the industry collapsed.

As part of their economic revitalization plan, the Kitasoo developed a salmon farm in partnership with an established salmon farming company. Today, salmon farming provides 15 full-time equivalent jobs for Kitasoo First Nation members worth $450, 000 annually.

The Kitasoo have also constructed a processing plant. The plant currently processes 1.4 million pounds of farmed salmon each month – generating gross revenues of ~$2.2 million monthly. Processing activities employ 30 full time equivalent jobs at full operation – contributing approximately $1 million in wages to the village economy.

The Kitasoo have retained final decision-making powers in all matters pertaining to environmental impacts and decisions - making it clear to their industry partner that the farm will be shut down if environmental degradation occurs. After four years of operations, independent environmental monitoring have found that the environmental integrity of the region remains intact.

Kitasoo Chief Councilor and Band Manager Percy Starr proudly proclaims:
“No one should be fooled into thinking that the Kitasoo First Nation had sold out and sacrifices any part of its environmental heritage in order to become part of the salmon-farming industry.”