Aquaculture Background Information

The Aquaculture Industry in Northern Ireland continues to develop. At present there are 84 licenced fish farms (covering 100 sites), of which 50 are licensed for the cultivation of shellfish (48 marine and 2 land-based) and 34 for the cultivation of finfish (32 inland and 2 marine).

The main shellfish species cultivated are mussels (Mytilus edulis) and Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) although a small quantity of Native oysters (Ostrea edulis) and clams (Venerupis semi-decussata) are also grown. The main finfish species cultivated are salmon (Salmo salar), rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus gorbuscha) and brown trout (Salmo trutta).

In 2007 the aquaculture sector produced 8,400 tonnes of shellfish valued at £5.8 million and over 999 tonnes of finfish valued at £1.85 million. In total the aquaculture sector directly employs 113 full time and 48 part time employees.