Fish farming prime for growth to meet domestic demand: industry group

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association has released a new report outlining a roadmap to expand the region’s aquaculture sector. Industry leaders argue that regulatory delays and bureaucratic hurdles are preventing domestic producers from meeting rising consumer demand for Atlantic salmon, which currently relies heavily on imports.

Tom Taylor, executive director of the association, stated that while the East Coast was an early pioneer in the industry, growth has stagnated compared to international competitors like Norway and Chile. According to the report, Canada imported more than 765 million dollars worth of Atlantic salmon in 2025, double the amount recorded in 2016. The association aims to double the production value and volume of the Atlantic Canadian sector by 2035, potentially increasing the region’s GDP by one per cent.

The industry group is calling for more efficient regulatory processes, suggesting that approval timelines for new sites and expansions should be reduced to approximately two to three years. Currently, these processes can take between five and ten years. The report also advocates for the introduction of developmental licenses, similar to those used in Norway, which would allow operators to test new technologies for improved sustainability and efficiency without immediate cost.

Joel Richardson, a spokesperson for New Brunswick-based Cooke Inc., noted that the company has often expanded by acquiring international firms because domestic growth has been too slow to remain competitive. Richardson also called for mandatory country-of-origin labelling on all fish products sold in Canada. He argued that current regulations allow imported fish processed in Canada to be labeled as a Product of Canada, which he described as misleading to consumers.

In response to the industry’s concerns, Nick Brown, a spokesperson for New Brunswick’s Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, stated that the government supports the sector. He noted that the provincial approval process for marine aquaculture sites involves rigorous reviews of environmental factors, site suitability, and input from multiple federal and provincial agencies.

The association’s report recommends that all Atlantic provinces adopt a target to cut decision timelines for site approvals by 50 per cent, a goal recently announced by the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Industry representatives emphasized that their goal is to foster responsible growth through innovation and science rather than simply increasing the number of farm sites.

Article and image source: tj.news