REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS

Aquaculture in Eastern Canada - A Growing Opportunity

The text version of the presentation is available below. The PowerPoint presentation is available as a Microsoft PowerPoint file (*.ppt) by following this link.

Credit: This presentation was developed in collaboration by the Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Quebec in November 2005.  Fisheries and Oceans Canada thanks these Provinces for the permission to use the presentation for this website.

Slide 1 - Aquaculture in Eastern Canada - A Growing Opportunity - November 2005

Slide 2

"Large scale commercial aquaculture is little more than 30 years old. New technologies, new breeds and newly domesticated species of fish offer great hope for the future. They promise a blue revolution in this century to match the green revolution of the last."

The Economist: 9 – 15 August 2003
Blue Revolution – the promise of fish farming.

Slide 3 - World Seafood Production (FAO)

Slide 4

Economic Profile

Aquaculture In Eastern Canada

Slide 5 - Total Production & Value
NB, NS, NL, PEI, PQ

Source: Stats Canada

Slide 6 - Major Species Farmed By Volume 2004

Slide 7 - Key Industry Drivers

Rural Based
Providing an Economic Alternative for Rural & Coastal Communities. Residents can stay, & educated young people can return, to their communities.

Science Based
Highly Efficient Producer of Protein using Science & Technology.

Market Based
We are in the Food Industry - Growing Demand by Consumers. Producing High Quality, Safe, Nutritious, Tasty products year round.

Slide 8 - Rural Based Industry

Major Impact in Rural Eastern Canada

Slide 9 - Rural Stability – Direct Employment 2003

• Aquaculture has brought much needed stability & employment to rural eastern Canada helping to minimize out-migration. It is an alternative for educated young people to pursue a career in their home communities.

Slide 10 - Faces of the Industry

Researcher	From Truck Drivers to Veterinarians the East Coast Aquaculture Industry has a major impact across many sectors of the economy.
Veterinarian	Biologist/ Manager

Slide 11 - Faces of the Industry

Processor

Diver

Biologists

75% of industry employees are under 40 years of age.

Technicians

Slide 12 - On Farm Employment

Slide 13 - Support Industries

Feed Mills NB, NS	Shellfish Socks, Shippagan, NB
Boat & Barge Making, All Provinces	Cage & Net Making, All Provinces

Slide 14

Science Based Industry

Slide 15 - Aquaculture Education & Research Institutions

Slide 16 - Monitoring & Sustainability

The Industry and Government are working together to provide for Sustainable Aquaculture Development. Programs include:

• Environmental Impact Assessments pre licensing.
• Environmental Monitoring & Codes of Practice.
• Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program.
• National Aquatic Animal Health Program.
• Processing Plant Quality Management Program (QMP).
• Safe Quality Food Institute Certification Program.

Slide 17 - Fish Health Management

• All fish diseases originate in the wild.
   
• All fish are transferred ONLY after veterinary screening and vaccinated against diseases.
   
• There is no evidence of disease being transferred from farmed to wild salmon.
   
• Antibiotics are ONLY administered with a veterinarian’s certificate. Farmed fish have the lowest antibiotic use of all farmed animals.

Slide 18 - Aquaculture & the Environment

• Fish are the most efficient converter of feed to protein.
• Salmon farming is one of the most efficient food production industries.
• Salmon FCR’s of 2.4 kg’s in 1984 to 1.2 kg in 2004.
• Freshwater Consumption in Aquaculture is minimal to nil.

Slide 19 - Market Based Industry

Producing Safe, Healthy Food in a Sustainable Environment

Slide 20 - East Coast Proximity to Market

• The wealthiest consumer market in the world is on our doorstep.
   
• No other aquaculture producing area can service it faster or fresher.

Map Source: Google

Slide 21 - Market Overview

• US aquaculture imports in the last 10 years have almost doubled from $1.5 billion to $2.7 billion.
   
• Eastern Canada’s share of that market is $US 216 Million.
   
• Aquaculture’s success can be seen in the statistics for per capita growth of various foods in the North American market between 1990 – 2004:
  • Beef, Pork and Seafood overall = No growth.
  • Chicken = 97% growth, success story.
  • Salmon = 2,200% growth due to aquaculture providing fresh, high quality, year round supply.

Slide 22 - N. American 2003 Seafood Consumption

* Majority of the supply is from Aquaculture

Slide 23 - Marketplace Growth Opportunities

• Heart Healthy Foods.
• Brain Healthy Foods.
• Digestive Healthy Foods - Wellbeing & Sickness.
• Low Fats to Right Fats – Omega 3 Foods.

Source: Future Trends in Food: 2005 Business Insights Ltd Publication

Slide 24

The Future for Eastern Canada

An Exciting Socio-Economic Opportunity

Slide 25 - Canadian Production Opportunities

Slide 26

Provincial Overviews

Slide 27 - Newfoundland & Labrador

The #1 Seafood Processing Plant is on the south coast producing fresh Farmed salmon year round. Aquaculture on the south coast employs 300 people & co-exists with the traditional fishery.

Slide 28 - Newfoundland Aquaculture
The opportunity

• 500 years of living from the sea
• Abundant area for development
• Excellent water quality
• Existing infrastructure
• Community acceptance

Slide 29 - Newfoundland Aquaculture
Capability and expertise

• Skilled workforce
  • Aquaculture
  • Processing
  • Support sector
• R&D Capability
  • Marine Institute
  • Ocean Sciences Centre

Slide 30 - Newfoundland Aquaculture
Supportive Government

• Aquaculture is a priority for rural economic development.
• Sustainable development strategy
• Streamlined approval process
• Business friendly
  • Aquaculture Loan Guarantee

Slide 31 - Prince Edward Island

PEI's $70 million aquaculture industry co-exists with the traditional fishing, agriculture and tourism industries.

Slide 32 - Prince Edward Island

A strong backbone with mussels…

• Year round employment
• Rural jobs
• $50 million economic value
• Modern processing facilities
• Support institutions
   

Slide 33 - Prince Edward Island

A sea of opportunities…

• An expanding oyster industry
   
• Potential for off-shore mussel production
   
• Value-added shellfish products

Slide 34 - Prince Edward Island

Finfish – room for development…

• A huge resource of fresh and salt water
• Certified facilities
• Expertise in fish health services, diagnostics and training
• Land-based production technology

Slide 35 - Nova Scotia

A world leader in New Species Development supported by strong research centres of excellence.

Abalone Farming

Research

Slide 36 - Nova Scotians’ Opportunities in Aquaculture

• Atlantic halibut, haddock, and cod R&D
• Diversified approach - clam, abalone, marine plants
• New technologies - off-shore facilities, marine & land-based farms
• Jobs for graduates in rural and coastal communities
• Close links with other Atlantic provinces on research and business
• 7400 kilometers of "Coastal Opportunities"

Slide 37 - Nova Scotia’s Aquaculture Environment

• Provincial department staff monitor sites regularly
• Industry and Dept. promote sustainable use & environmental stewardship
• All marine finfish and shellfish suspended aquaculture sites are monitored
• NS aquaculture sites monitored meet or exceed Env. Can. standards
• World class vet. provide diagnostic and pathology lab services
  

Slide 38 - Nova Scotia - Come to Prosper

• Nova Scotia is well recognized as one of the best R&D places in N A
• Significant strengths in biotechnology, nutrition, fish health and aquaculture
• NS is a brand unto itself with strong NA seafood identification
• Safety of investment and quality of life in Nova Scotia - 2nd to none
• Technical, business, R&D - Nova Scotia has the expertise

Slide 39 - Québec : A Tradition of innovation

• More than 150 years of history
• Total sales of 12.4 M$ (2004)
• Many direct and indirect jobs
• Strong potential, particularly in Quebec’s maritime regions

Slide 40 - Québec : Freshwater aquaculture

• Freshwater aquaculture responsible for 90% of all aquaculture sales
• More than 2/3 of the sales go to lake and river stocking
• Main species are brook trout (60%) and rainbow trout (28%)

Slide 41 - Québec
Marine Aquaculture

• Started in the mid-1980
• Commercial production of mussels and scallops and less of urchins and clams
• Sales of 1.2 M$ (2004)
• Priority for regional development

Slide 42 - Québec
Governmental action

• Commercial Aquaculture Act - 2004
• Freshwater Aquaculture Development Strategy in Quebec (STRADDAQ)
• Technical, scientific and financial support to enterprises
• Creation of a corporation for development of mariculture industry (SODIM) and a corporation for research and development in continental aquaculture (SORDAC)

Slide 43 - New Brunswick
A Significant Industry

• Second largest aquaculture producer in Canada
• Industry production value of $181 million in 2004
• Salmon Aquaculture is the largest crop in the Agri-Food Sector with a value of $179 Million in 2004

Slide 44 - New Brunswick
Strong Support Sector

• Having grown over the last 25 years, the New Brunswick aquaculture industry is surrounded by a well developed support sector.
  • feed mills,
  • hatcheries,
  • cage & net manufacturing,
  • processing plants,
  • private veterinary practices
  • research institutions
• Vital to the continued development of aquaculture in Atlantic Canada.

Slide 45 - New Brunswick
More than just salmon

• The shellfish industry on the province’s east coast is also growing significantly
  • oyster industry forecasted worth $17 million by 2010
  • popular cocktail oysters
  • mussel farming expected to double production
• Alternate species opportunities
  • Canada’s only sturgeon facility
  • Halibut and cod at marine sites
  • Broodstock programs for
    • Cod (HMSC -cod genome project)
    • Arctic charr (CZRI)

Slide 46 - New Brunswick
Supportive Government

• Significant provincial investment in the industry.
  • Loan guarantee program,
  • Fish health unit,
  • Extension services,
  • Research & development support,
  • Strategic planning support for industry,

Slide 47 - What Aquaculture Is

• Socially Sustainable.
  • A rural industry for rural Canada
• Economically Sustainable.
  • A financially sound investment in rural Canadian communities
• Environmentally Sustainable.
  • An environmentally responsible industry producing high quality seafood for the world marketplace.

Last Updated : 2006-06-09

Important Notices