Program and Abstracts(PDF)

Presentation 5
AQUACULTURE IN NORTHA AMERICA: PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE
OPPORTUNITIES
Paul G. Olin
University of California Sea Grant Extension Program, U.C. San Diego, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, San Diego, CA 92093
Email: polin at ucsd.edu
This represents a review of the status and trends in aquaculture development in North America.
The paper covers current levels of Canadian and American production and species diversity,
production trends over the last decade, available resources and governmental support, and
projections for future industry growth and development.
The aquaculture industry in North America produced 644,213 metric tonnes of product in
2008 with an estimated value of US$1,622,460 (FAO 2009). This represents an annual
percentage increase over the previous decade of 1.8 percent by volume and 4.5 percent in value.
The finfish industry is at the forefront of the aquaculture sector led by production of Atlantic
salmon in Canada and channel catfish in the United States. Over the decade from 1997 to 2007,
Canadian production increased 54 percent resulting primarily from expansion of Atlantic salmon
net pen culture on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Canada produced 104,070 metric tonnes of
Atlantic salmon in 2008 worth US$ 663 million (Statistics Canada 2010). This represents 88
percent of total aquaculture revenue. The U.S. experienced a 17 percent increase in the
aquaculture sector primarily through increased production of Pacific and Eastern oysters, hard
clams, manila clams and red swamp crayfish. The U.S. channel catfish industry has experienced
strong competition as a result of significant increases in imports of basa and tra from Southeast
Asia and has declined in recent years. In 2008 American catfish growers produced 201,000
metric tonnes of fish valued at US$389 million. (USDA – NASS 2010)
FAO has projected the need for an additional 40 million metric tonnes of seafood by 2030 to
meet anticipated increases in global demand (FAO 2009). There is potential for significant
increases in production in North America and both the Canadian and American governments
have projections for expansion of their aquaculture industries. Canada estimates that by 2020
production could exceed 308,000 tonnes with farm-gate value of US$1.6 billion. The United
States Department of Commerce estimates that domestic aquaculture production has the potential
to increase in value from US$1 billion to more than US$3 billion by 2025. In the United States
this additional production would be comprised of 760,000 tons of finfish, of which 590,000 tons
would be marine finfish, 47,000 tons of crustaceans, and a 245,000 ton increase in mollusc
production.
Future significant growth in the North American aquaculture industry will likely follow the
successful model demonstrated by the Atlantic salmon industry in Canada and new technologies
enabling net-pen culture to move further offshore. Both Canada and the United States have ample
areas for this expansion and the Canadian salmon example and pilot projects in the U.S.
demonstrate the viability of this approach. However, in some regions there is considerable
opposition and whether a significant industry sector develops will depend on the establishment of
12