Canada’s fishing and aquaculture industries continued to show strength in 2004, with exports of fish and seafood products totalling $4.5 billion.

The six largest Canadian exporting provinces of fish and seafood in 2004 were Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island.

NOVA SCOTIA was once again Canada’s top exporter of fish and seafood products with a value of $1.09 billion. The province exported 145,881 tonnes (t) of seafood in 2004, representing a slight decrease from volumes recorded in 2003. The three most important species, in terms of value, were lobster (22,657 t worth $398.6 million), scallops (7,604 t valued at $121.5 million), and snow crab (7,779 t valued at $95.2 million). Atlantic cod represented the largest exported groundfish species, with 8,736 t valued at $60.7 million. The top pelagic fish export was herring, with 7,797 t valued at $20.4 million. Nova Scotia’s highest valued export species group was shellfish, worth $806.9 million. Groundfish and pelagic exports were valued at $171.8 million and $61 million, respectively.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR was the second most valuable exporter of fish and seafood products with 186,667 t valued at $1.01 billion. This province showed the largest increase in exports in terms of volume (19 per cent) compared to figures from 2003. Its most valuable species were snow crab (29,434 t valued at $363.2 million), shrimp (60,858 t worth $260.5 million), and other crab (7,230 t valued at $82.3 million). Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest groundfish export was Atlantic cod with 7,013 t valued at $50.5 million, and the most valuable pelagic species was mackerel (20,769 t) at $32.4 million. Shellfish exports from this province totalled $749.5 million, groundfish exports were worth $105.7 million, and pelagic exports came in at $82.6 million.

BRITISH COLUMBIA had the third highest value of fish and seafood exports last year. This province exported 182,552 t of fish and seafood products, valued at $985 million. The quantity of exports increased by six per cent, but decreased slightly in value. B.C.’s top three species last year were farmed Atlantic salmon (33,978 t valued at $213.2 million), wild salmon (29,411 t worth $149.1 million) and herring (7,514 t valued at $93.9 million). Pacific halibut was the most valuable groundfish species, totalling 6,503 t worth $78.7 million, and crab was the top shellfish species with 7,911 t at $55.3 million. Total pelagic fish exports from British Columbia were valued at $524.4 million last year, while shellfish and groundfish exports were worth $186.6 million and $174.5 million, respectively.

NEW BRUNSWICK ranked fourth most valuable fish and seafood exporter in 2004, exporting 101,179 t of products worth $824.2 million. This province saw an increase in both volume (13 per cent) as well as value (three per cent) compared to 2003 exports. Its top three species were lobster (14,860 t valued at $388.9 million), farmed Atlantic salmon (19,997 t valued at $155.1 million), and snow crab (10,335 t worth $130.6 million). Atlantic cod was the highest valued groundfish species and accounted for $1.2 million. The most valuable species group exported from New Brunswick in 2004 was shellfish, worth $581.5 million, while pelagic and groundfish exports were valued at $225.2 million and $2.1 million, respectively.

QUEBEC ranked fifth most valuable fish and seafood exporter in 2004, up from sixth place in 2003. Its volume of exports increased by nine per cent to 25,592 t, and value increased by 15 per cent to $217.6 million. The three most valuable species for Quebec were snow crab (6,079 t worth $69.2 million), other crab (2,521 t valued at $30.3 million), and shrimp (3,268 valued at $30.1 million). The province’s top groundfish export was Atlantic cod, with 579 t worth $6.5 million, and its most valued pelagic fish export was herring, with 597 t, valued at $2.1 million. At $150.2 million, shellfish accounted for 69 per cent of Quebec’s exports last year and experienced a 20 per cent growth from 2003. Groundfish and pelagic exports totalled $18.8 million and $3.7 million, respectively.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND was the sixth most valuable fish and seafood exporting province in 2004, at $180.9 million. Having exported 17,852 t last year, the province experienced a decrease of four per cent in terms of volume and eight per cent in value. The top three export species were lobster (5,295 t valued at $137.8 million), mussels (8,202 t valued at $21.2 million), and oysters (801 t worth $4.8 million). P.E.I.’s most valuable pelagic fish was salmon, with 91 t worth $1.8 million, and its most valuable groundfish was the dogfish, with 297 t worth $1.1 million. Shellfish exports from P.E.I. totalled $170.3 million last year, while pelagic and groundfish exports were valued at $5.6 million and $1.7 million, respectively.

Canada’s top three exporters of freshwater fish in 2004 were Ontario (8,967 t valued at $61.8 million), Manitoba (7,538 t worth $45.2 million), and British Columbia (3,071 t worth $17.7 million).