Surrounded by the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and home to the Great Lakes, Canada boasts the world's longest coastline (244,000 km), representing 25 per cent of the entire coastline in the world. With more than 755,000 square kilometres of fresh water, Canada has 16 per cent of the world's area of fresh water and four of the largest lakes in the world.
In total the capture fishery accounts for 76 percent of total fish and seafood production in Canada. Together, lobster, crab and shrimp comprise 67 percent of the landed value of all fish and shellfish harvested in Canada.
The Atlantic fishery accounts for 80 percent of total landings. Value leaders include lobster, crab, shrimp and scallops. The Pacific fishery accounts for 16 per cent of total landings. Value leaders are salmon, clams, groundfish, and herring roe. The freshwater fishery accounts for 4 per cent of total Canadian landings. Value leaders include pickerel, yellow perch, whitefish, northern pike and lake trout.
Canada's aquaculture sector continues to increase in importance. Key products are farmed salmon (Atlantic, coho and chinook), trout, steelhead, Arctic char, blue mussels, oysters and manila clams. New species like halibut and cod are on the way.
