Fish and Seafood

Industry Overview

Surrounded by the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and home to the Great Lakes, Canada boasts the world's longest coastline (244,000 km), representing 25 per cent of all the coastline in the world. With more than 755,000 square kilometres of fresh water, Canada has 16 per cent of the world's area of fresh water and four of the largest lakes in the world.
In total the capture fishery accounts for 76 percent of total fish and seafood production in Canada. Together, lobster, crab and shrimp comprise 67 percent of the landed value of all fish and shellfish harvested in Canada.
The Atlantic fishery accounts for 80 percent of total landings. Value leaders include lobster, crab, shrimp and scallops. The Pacific fishery accounts for 16 per cent of total landings. Value leaders are salmon, clams, groundfish, and herring roe. The freshwater fishery accounts for 4 per cent of total Canadian landings. Value leaders include pickerel, yellow perch, whitefish, northern pike and lake trout.
Canada's aquaculture sector continues to increase in importance. Key products are farmed salmon (Atlantic, coho and chinook), trout, steelhead, Arctic char, blue mussels, oysters and manila clams. New species like halibut and cod are on the way.

Canada has one of the world's most valuable commercial fishing industries, worth more than CDN $5 billion a year and providing more than 130,000 jobs to Canadians. It is the economic mainstay of approximately 1,500 communities in rural and coastal Canada.
Canada is the world's seventh-largest exporter of fish and seafood products, with exports to more than 130 countries. In 2008, Canada's fish and seafood exports were valued at $3.9 billion. Canada exports an estimated 80 per cent, by value, of its fish and seafood production. The United States is Canada's largest export market (representing roughly 62 per cent of seafood trade) followed by The European Union (15 per cent), Japan (8 per cent) and China (6 per cent). Canada's fish and seafood imports have stayed at around $2 billion, resulting in significant annual trade surpluses.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the federal government department that regulates and manages the Canadian fishery. Fisheries and Oceans Canada works to secure the future of Canada's wild fisheries by initiating conservative management practices that focus on sustainable development and responsible fishing. Visit DFO's Sustainable Fish and Seafood Portal for more information.

Canada has one of the world's most respected fish inspection and control systems. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) (www.inspection.gc.ca) sets the policies, requirements and inspection standards for fish products, federally registered fish and seafood processing establishments, importers, fishing vessels, and equipment used for handling, transporting and storing fish. All establishments which process fish and seafood for export or inter-provincial trade must be federally registered and must develop and implement a HACCP-based Quality Management Program (QMP) plan.

The export certification program of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency provides exporters with official documentation that Canadian fish and seafood products sold on the international market will be acceptable to importing countries. Buyers can be assured that seafood from Canada will continue to meet the increasingly rigorous safety and wholesomeness standards required by the world's major seafood markets.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is responsible for marketing and trade development.