'We're farmers, so treat us like that'
Canada's aquaculture sector wants the same access to public sector help as those working the land
Canada’s fish and shellfish farmers are urging politicians to give the aquaculture sector the same access to beneficial programmes as terrestrial agriculture in a new five-year plan that will be discussed in July.
Federal, provincial, and territorial agriculture ministers will meet in Halifax, Nova Scotia from July 13 to 17, to discuss the next Agricultural Policy Framework (NPF), a federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) initiative covering 2028-2033, designed to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector.
It will replace the current Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP), which offers the aquaculture sector access to Canada’s AgriMarketing and AgriAssurance programmes but explicitly excludes it from other federally funded, cost-shared and business risk management programmes.
“It is those other programmes that are so critical for our operations and identity as farmers,” say representatives of the aquaculture sector in an open letter to federal agriculture and agri-food minister Heath MacDonald and 14 agriculture ministers from Canada’s provinces and territories.
Long coastline, huge potential
The letter’s authors point out that Canada has the potential to be a global leader in sustainable aquaculture.
“In 2024, the seafood farming sector generated CAD 2.3 billion in Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) and employed over 18,000 people, using only about 1% of our bio-physical capacity and making up 1.4% of farm gate sales,” they write.
Canada has a major competitive advantage, with tremendous freshwater resources and the longest marine coastline in the world
“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.”
They add that, 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.
Same risks and realities
“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 recognised 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,” the letter’s signatories state. They add that the sector is poised to be an important value-added opportunity for other Canadian agri-food producers, with over CAD 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.
Nonetheless, the sector has largely flatlined in production for 20 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 programmes to the aquaculture sector,” the authors write.
They want three key changes to the forthcoming NPF:
- Aquaculture to be eligible, as an agri-food sector, for all federal strategic initiatives (in addition to the current AgriMarketing and AgriAssurance programmes), with priority given to AgriInnovate.
- Aquaculture to be removed from the list of ineligible activities in the Multilateral Framework Agreement between the federal-provincial-territorial governments, thereby enabling individual provinces to offer partner programme support to their provincial aquaculture producers.
- The establishment of a tailored Business Risk Management (BRM) programme for shellfish and freshwater aquaculture to provide risk mitigation for the systemic risks of weather and pests to producers who file farm income with the Canada Revenue Agency.
A critical role to play
“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,” say the letter’s authors.
“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 realise this opportunity.”
The letter is signed by the leaders of Canada’s finfish and shellfish producer organisations, including Tim Kennedy of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), Tom Taylor of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, and Brian Kingzett of the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association. The federal government has ruled that open net pen salmon farming in BC must end by June 30, 2029, because of its perceived threat to wild salmon stocks.
Consultations on the next Agricultural Policy Framework began in January 2026, with public input open until December 2027.
