Aquaculture is the production, through artificial cultivation techniques, of any aquatic plant or animal, including algae, mollusk, crustacean, and fish species, and embodies the primary objectives of increasing biomass and ensuring successful reproduction.
Aquaculture also implies some form of private property ownership over the species being cultured.
Fifteen years ago, Canadian aquaculture represented a small cottage industry that was perceived by most people as being one with little future for large-scale development. Canadians farm Atlantic and Pacific salmon, as well as rainbow trout, mussels and oysters, and several species of marine algae. British Columbia has the most number of fish farms, followed by the Maritimes and Ontario. Ontario specializes in the production of rainbow trout. No other sector in agriculture is likely to experience this type of growth.