Conservation Biology in the Boreal
HOW DOES NEWFOUNDLAND and LABRADOR COMPARE??
Economy
The Newfoundland Aquaculture
Industry Association (2011), report a steady
increase in the value of aquaculture in this
province since it first became abundant in
2003, with only a slight decline between 2006
and 2007. The species harvested in the
aquaculture industry in the province include;
blue mussels, steelhead trout, Atlantic salmon
and Atlantic cod. In 2003, the province sold
1300 metric tonnes of mussels and 2600 metric
tonnes of finfish, a value of $15.9 million. In 2010, these values had increased to 2461 metric tonnes and 12899 metric tonnes
respectively, having a total value of $116 million. Across
Canada, there are eight different species of finfish, six species of shellfish and 12 species of marine plants. The most common species include; salmon, oysters, mussels and trout.
Worldwide, the aquaculture industry is one of the most traded commodities, with Japan leading with 14.4 billion worth of imports in 2005. In 2010, Newfoundland and Labrador produced a total 15360 metric tonnes of aquaculture. In that same year, 78 879 653 metric tonnes of aquaculture was produced worldwide. Newfoundland and Labrador represented 0.02% of this total, making it a very small player in the global market (www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca).
Within Canada, the department of fisheries and oceans, reported British Columbia as the number one producer of Aquaculture, accounting for 52.3% of the country’s industry. New Brunswick was Canada’s second producer while Newfoundland fell into third place. The total production of Aquaculture in Canada accounts for 14% of the country’s total seafood production and 35% of the value.