Only three percent of the total provincial land area is considered arable or potentially arable. However, farm size varies by type of activity, from thousands of hectares in grain or ranching enterprises, to less than five hectares in mushroom, greenhouse and poultry businesses. Food processing in British Columbia is largely confined to the Vancouver area, Fraser Valley, Okanagan Valley and southern Vancouver Island. Fisheries More than 80 species of finfish, shellfish and marine plants are grown, harvested and marketed by B.C.'s seafood industry. The industry is highly cyclical.
Landings vary with fluctuations in stocks of individual species.
In 1998, the seafood sector supported 6,800 jobs from fishing and aquaculture to processing and distribution of products. The seafood industry operates all along the provincial coast. The major concentrations of the province's 181 processing plants are in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and Prince Rupert areas. Oceanographic conditions along the province's coastline create an ideal setting for the cultivation of fish and shellfish, primarily farmed salmon. Transportation British Columbia's large highway network provides all-weather access to most regions of the province.