Aquaculture is Agriculture

An Open Letter from Canada's Seafood Farmers to Provincial and Territorial Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers

Click here to download the letter to the Ministers (PDF: 402KB)

March 30, 2026

To: Federal and Provincial Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries

Dear Ministers,

In advance of the Federal Provincial Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture meeting in Halifax, we are writing on behalf of Canada’s seafood farmers to share our perspectives on aquaculture in the Next Policy Framework (NPF).

Aquaculture is Agriculture and is the fastest growing food production sector in the world. The World Bank estimates that the sector has the potential for up to USD $1.5 trillion in investment by 2050. A growing global population will see surging demand for high-quality protein in the next decade, and aquaculture – with the lowest carbon footprint of all farm-raised animal proteins and important health benefits – will be an important contributor to meeting this demand.

Canada has the potential to be a global leader in sustainable aquaculture. In 2024, the seafood farming sector generated $2.3 billion in Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) and employed over 18,000 people, using only about 1 per cent of our bio-physical capacity and making up 1.4 per cent of farm gate sales. Canada has a major competitive advantage, with tremendous freshwater resources and the longest marine coastline in the world, a strong regulatory environment, and hundreds of millions of dollars in private capital already invested in existing infrastructure and cutting-edge technology.

We are proud members of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and provincial agriculture associations. Like other animal farming sectors, seafood farmers purchase seed/egg stock, provide housing and feed throughout the lifecycle, administer veterinary medicines and pest products as needed and abide by animal welfare codes of practice. They also face many of the same production-related risks and realities as land-based farmers, such as environmental, biological and disease challenges. Aquaculture is recognized as a farming activity in the Income Tax Act, and seafood farmers in Canada can and do file as farmers for federal and provincial taxes.

Furthermore, the sector is poised to be an important value-added opportunity for other Canadian agri-food producers, with over $250 million per year being spent on land-based protein sources for salmon feed, such as grains, seed oils and poultry by-products. Expanding the sector will benefit “made in Canada” food production connectivity.

While having global-leading growth potential, the sector has largely flatlined in production for twenty years. The lack of consistent and reliable partnership from the federal government is an important contributor. This is markedly different from other competitor jurisdictions such as Norway, the United States and the United Kingdom, where governments contribute substantial science, innovation, and business risk partnership programs to the aquaculture sector.

Currently under the Canadian Agriculture Partnership (S-CAP) program, aquaculture has access to the AgriMarketing and AgriAssurance programs, but is explicitly excluded from other federally funded, cost-shared and business risk management programs. It is those other programs that are so critical for our operations and identity as farmers.

We ask that aquaculture be removed as an ineligible activity under the NPF, specifically that:

1.    Aquaculture be eligible, as an agri-food sector, for all Federal Strategic Initiatives (in addition to the current AgriMarketing and AgriAssurance programs), with priority given to AgriInnovate.

 2.    Aquaculture be removed from the list of ineligible activities in the Multilateral Framework Agreement between the federal-provincial-territorial governments (i.e. section 6.8 in previous CAP agreement), thereby enabling individual provinces to offer partner program support to their provincial aquaculture producers.

 3.    A tailored Business Risk Management (BRM) program for shellfish and freshwater aquaculture be established to provide risk mitigation for the systemic risks of weather and pests to producers who file farm income with CRA.

Granting seafood farmers access under the NPF is consistent with Canada’s tax law, the reality of operational realities facing seafood farmers and Canada’s ambition to build a stronger economy and grow our export markets, strengthen domestic food production and drive resiliency.

The Canadian aquaculture sector has the potential to be a major contributor to Canada’s goal to be the fastest growing economy in the G7. As a sustainable, innovative and productive farming sector, Canadian aquaculture has a critical – and growing – role to play. We need your support, leadership and partnership to realize this opportunity.

 Sincerely,

Timothy J. Kennedy, President & CEO, Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance

Sheldon George, President, NL Aquaculture Industry Association

Peter Warris, Executive Director, PEI Aquaculture Alliance

Jeff Bishop, Executive Director, Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia

Tom Taylor, Executive Director, Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association

Maude Paquet, Interim Executive Director, L'Association des aquaculteurs du Québec (AAQ) 

RJ Taylor, Managing Director, Ontario Aquaculture Association

Brian Kingzett, Executive Director, BC Salmon Farmers Association

Nico Prins, Executive Director, BC Shellfish Growers Association