Gitnux/Report 2026

Fish Farming Industry Statistics

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Fish Farming Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The fish farming industry at a glance

Fish farming is now the main engine of aquatic-food growth: aquaculture produced 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2024 and, including algae, generated $391 billion in output.

$391B[20]
Aquaculture value, 2024
103M tonnes[20]
Farmed aquatic animals, 2024
56%[7]
Projected production share, 2034
40%[29]
China's global production share, 2022
Market size
Global aquaculture production, including algae, reached 141 million tonnes and was valued at $391 billion in 2024. Aquatic animal production alone reached 103 million tonnes.[20]
Forecast & CAGR
OECD-FAO projects farmed aquatic-animal production to reach 118 million tonnes by 2034, 20% above the base period. This implies an approximate annual growth rate of 1.8% over the outlook period, with aquaculture accounting for 56% of global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2034.[7]
Market share & regions
Asia remains the dominant production region. In 2022, Asian countries produced 75% of global fisheries and aquaculture output, while China accounted for 40%, Indonesia 10% and India 7%; OECD-FAO projects Asia to retain an 88% share of aquaculture output in 2034.[29][7]
Segmentation
Farmed aquatic animals reached 94.4 million tonnes in 2022, while algae contributed 36.5 million tonnes. Leading farmed species included whiteleg shrimp at 6.8 million tonnes, cupped oysters at 6.2 million tonnes, grass carp at 6.2 million tonnes and Nile tilapia at 5.3 million tonnes.[29]
Key players & concentration
Production is highly concentrated geographically: China represented 40% of global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2022, followed by Indonesia at 10% and India at 7%. At company level, major commercial operators include Mowi, Cooke, Cermaq, SalMar, Bakkafrost and Nissui, but no reliable global company concentration ratio was identified.[29][89]
Pricing
Aquaculture economics remain sensitive to feed costs. IFFO's published reference data list fishmeal prices of $450, $1,260 and $1,580 per tonne and fish-oil prices of $200, $1,080 and $1,895 per tonne across the displayed historical reference years; OECD-FAO expects fish prices to begin rising slowly after 2027 as demand for aquaculture feed and human consumption remains strong.[90][91]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is supported by rising aquatic-food consumption: global per-capita availability reached an estimated 21.3 kg in 2024. Growth is increasingly constrained by climate and environmental conditions, stricter regulation, limited high-quality production sites, disease and biosecurity risks, and uncertainty in trade policy.[20][7]
Consumer behavior & competition
Global per-capita availability of aquatic animal food increased to 21.1 kg in 2023 and an estimated 21.3 kg in 2024. Competition is shifting toward reliable, year-round supply, traceability, lower environmental impact and differentiated species, while Asia remains the leading production and export base.[20][7]
M&A
M&A activity continues to expand production footprints and vertical integration. In January 2026, Nissui completed its acquisition of Chilean producer Pesquera Yadran and said the deal, combined with existing expansion, would increase its South American salmon-farming scale to more than 80,000 tonnes annually by 2030, or about 2.5 times its current level.[89]
Regulation
Aquaculture regulation is becoming more detailed around environmental performance, feed and fish welfare. The European Commission published an EU aquafeed study in 2026 and a farmed-fish-welfare report in 2025; its regulatory framework also includes the EU's strategic guidelines for sustainable and competitive aquaculture.[92][93]
Latest news
FAO's 2026 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture reported that farmed aquatic-animal production exceeded 100 million tonnes for the first time in 2024, reaching 103 million tonnes. Including algae, aquaculture reached 141 million tonnes and $391 billion in value.[20]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Fish Farming Industry

The leading companies in the fish farming industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Mowi leads Gitnux's 2026 fish farming ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with harvested 559,000 tonnes of salmon in 2025 and operating margin 12.7%. SalMar is the runner-up at 9.1, with harvested 284,500 tonnes of salmon in 2025 and operating margin 10.6%.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in salmon Farming

    Mowi

    NO

    Ranked #1 · 9.2 · Salmon Farming

    Why we picked it: Integrated Atlantic salmon farming with 559,000 tonnes harvested in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit mowi.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    SalMar

    NO

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Salmon Farming

    Why we picked it: Salmon farming and processing supported 284,500 tonnes harvested in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit salmar.no ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Cooke

    CA

    Ranked #3 · 9.1 · Salmon Farming

    Why we picked it: Integrated salmon and diversified aquaculture across 16 countries.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cookeseafood.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the fish farming industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Mowi

Salmon Farming · NO

9.2
2

SalMar

Salmon Farming · NO

9.1
3

Cooke

Salmon Farming · CA

9.1
4

Empresas AquaChile

Salmon Farming · CL

9.1
5

Lerøy Seafood Group

Salmon Farming · NO

8.9
6

Nam Viet

Pangasius farming and processing, Vietnam · VN

8.6
7

Nissui

Marine aquaculture and seafood, global · JP

8.6
8

Vinh Hoan

Pangasius farming and processing, Vietnam · VN

7.9
9

Salmones Camanchaca

Atlantic and coho salmon farming, Chile · CL

7.6
10

Australis Seafoods

Atlantic and coho salmon farming, Chile · CL

7.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the fish farming industry. In Fish Farming Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fish-farming-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Global aquaculture production of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals

Global aquaculture production of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals grew from 70.5M tonnes in 2014 to 85.3M tonnes in 2019.

70.5M tonnes
Start
+3.89%
CAGR · 5y
85.3M tonnes
Projected
20142019
source-verifiedfao.org2019

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

A 2026 census compared 4–11 million aquaculture farms with 38 AI-equipped enterprises, while adoption indicators include 93,000 automation-enabled farms in Southeast Asia (2025).

AI in the fish farming industry

  • 4–11 million aquaculture farms worldwide were compared with 38 AI-equipped enterprises in a 2026 census.[1]
  • 38 AI-equipped aquaculture enterprises were identified globally in a 2026 enterprise census.[1]
  • 36 countries hosted companies with commercially available AI tools for aquaculture in 2025.[2]
  • 35+ aquatic species groups were covered by commercially available AI applications for aquaculture in 2025 globally.[2]
  • 16.8% of identified aquaculture-AI companies were headquartered in the United States in 2025.[2]
  • 3.2% of identified aquaculture-AI companies were headquartered in China in 2025.[2]

Automation in the fish farming industry

  • 23% of Norwegian seafood-industry respondents estimated land-based production would be used in 10 years.[3]
  • 93,000 farms were estimated to be automation-enabled in Southeast Asian aquaculture in 2025.[4]
  • $386 million is the projected Southeast Asian intelligent-aquaculture-automation market value for 2032.[4]
  • $38 million was Indonesia’s modeled intelligent-aquaculture-automation demand in 2025.[4]
  • $21 million was Thailand’s modeled intelligent-aquaculture-automation demand in 2025.[4]
  • 19.2% is the projected 2025–2032 CAGR for Southeast Asian intelligent aquaculture automation.[4]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[5]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[5]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[6]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[5]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[5]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[7]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[7]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[7]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[7]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[7]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[7]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[5]
  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[8]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[5]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[8]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[5]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[5]
  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[7]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Applied analytics show measurable performance in mariculture imagery: a YOLOv5 biomass model achieved 91% precision, alongside RNN accuracy of 98.91% for unusual behavior.

Business intelligence in the fish farming industry

  • 15 tonnes per cycle was the production capacity of the Indian farm using an AI-powered aquaculture advisory system.[9]
  • 100+ fish-farming cages in Singapore and Malaysia were made visible through a single live dashboard in 2025.[10]
  • 4,010 marine aquaculture cages were identified in a spatial dataset of finfish production locations in the French Mediterranean for 2000–2021.[11]
  • 16 hectares was the farm area in an Indian fish-and-shrimp operation using an AI and remote-sensing farm-advisory system.[9]
  • 69 square metres was the average cage area in a computer-vision dataset of French Mediterranean marine aquaculture locations.[11]
  • 100 documented improvement initiatives were recorded by Lerøy Seafood Group’s farming operations in 2024.[12]

Data analytics in the fish farming industry

  • 91% precision was achieved by a YOLOv5 computer-vision model for biomass estimation in mariculture imagery.[13]
  • 98.91% accuracy was reported for an RNN model predicting unusual behaviour in intensive aquaculture fish schools.[13]
  • 95.4% computer-vision performance was reported for biomass estimation in one reviewed aquaculture application.[14]
  • 86% was the post-deployment survival rate in an Indian fish-and-shrimp farm after applying an AI and remote-sensing model.[9]
  • 1% was the approximate average estimation error reported for machine-vision fish-length measurement in an aquaculture study.[14]
  • 78.6% accuracy was achieved by a random-forest model predicting mortality risk in grouper mariculture across five risk levels.[15]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[16]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[16]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[16]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[17]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[17]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[16]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[18]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[19]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[18]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[18]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[16]

KPIs in the fish farming industry

  • 102 was Lerøy Seafood Group’s growth-speed index in 2024.[12]
  • 13.2 Norwegian kroner per kilogram was Lerøy Seafood Group’s 2024 operational farming EBIT.[12]
  • 217,700 tonnes was Lerøy Seafood Group’s 2024 net production measured as live weight.[12]
  • 94.5% was Lerøy Seafood Group’s survival rate on shore in 2024.[12]
  • 1.17 was Lerøy Seafood Group’s biological feed-conversion ratio in 2024.[12]
  • 7 kilograms per cubic metre was Lerøy Seafood Group’s average fish density in 2024.[12]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Production value and volume keep rising, with aquaculture producing 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2024 and accounting for 53% of global aquatic-animal production.

Growth in the fish farming industry

  • Aquaculture production in OECD countries grew by an average of 2.5% annually in volume and 5.8% annually in value over the period covered by the OECD review.[7]
  • Aquaculture accounted for 53% of global aquatic-animal production in 2024.[20]
  • $371 billion was the farm-gate value of global aquaculture aquatic-animal production in 2024.[20]
  • 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals were produced by aquaculture globally in 2024, the first time annual production exceeded 100 million tonnes.[20]
  • Aquaculture production outside OECD countries grew by an average of 4.7% annually in volume and 10.3% annually in value over the period covered by the OECD review.[7]
  • Aquaculture production in the 41 OECD countries and territories covered by OECD reached 82 million tonnes in 2022, about twice the 2005 level.[7]

Differentiation in the fish farming industry

  • Greece produced more than half of EU farmed gilthead seabream and more than half of European seabass in 2024.[8]
  • Gilthead seabream represented 13.5% of EU aquaculture production value in 2024.[8]
  • In the EU in 2023, mussels represented 35% of aquaculture volume but only 9% of value, illustrating product-mix differentiation by price segment.[8]
  • Malta produced approximately 53% of EU farmed Atlantic bluefin tuna in 2024.[8]
  • Trout accounted for 17.2% of EU aquaculture production by live weight in 2024.[8]
  • In the EU in 2023, trout represented 17% of aquaculture value but 16% of production volume, indicating higher value density than many other species.[8]

Mergers and acquisitions in the fish farming industry

  • Yumbah acquired Eyre Peninsula Seafoods for A$16.9 million in August 2023, including A$5.464 million of aquaculture licences.[21]
  • Mowi expects the Torghatten Aqua licence portfolio to support annual harvest of about 4,500 gutted-weight tonnes.[22]
  • Aquaculture M&A recorded three transactions in the first half of 2024, according to an industry transaction review.[23]
  • Yumbah acquired Tasman Sea Products for A$6.0 million in May 2024, primarily for its aquaculture licences.[21]
  • Pure Salmon Technology acquired HyFlow’s waterborne-feed technology and intellectual-property rights in 2023; financial terms were undisclosed.[22]
  • Mowi’s 2026 acquisition agreement for Torghatten Aqua covered 3.37 salmon-farming licences with combined maximum allowed biomass of 2,628 tonnes.[22]

Strategic partnerships in the fish farming industry

  • INVE Aquaculture and Singapore’s SFA established a hatchery technology centre through a memorandum signed in November 2022.[24]
  • ICAR-CIBA and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation signed a 2024 memorandum for collaborative brackishwater-farming technology programmes in coastal Tamil Nadu.[25]
  • NEOM and Tabuk Fisheries established Topian Aquaculture as a joint venture in Saudi Arabia in 2024.[26]
  • Topian Aquaculture’s marine-pen facilities are projected to produce 20,000 tonnes of finfish annually.[26]
  • SFA and JAPFA signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2026 for strategic R&D collaboration in tropical aquaculture.[27]
  • Aqualoop’s planned offshore aquaculture cages under the Saipem collaboration are about 160 metres in diameter.[28]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce signals emphasize hiring and retention: Australis Seafoods recorded 90.2% retention in 2024, while Irish salmon farming reached 269 FTEs after a 29% FTE rise.

Hiring in the fish farming industry

  • 36% of the global fisheries-and-aquaculture primary-sector workforce worked in aquaculture in 2022.[29]
  • 337 people worked in Irish salmon farming in 2024, up 41% from 2023, with 66% in full-time positions.[30]
  • 19.2% was Salmones Camanchaca’s hiring rate for employees over 50 in 2024.[31]
  • Approximately 400 people worked in Singapore’s sea-based fish-farming sector in 2024.[32]
  • 43.4% was Salmones Camanchaca’s hiring rate for employees under 30 in 2024.[31]

Employee retention in the fish farming industry

  • Employment in Irish salmon farming rose 29% on an FTE basis in 2024, reaching 269 FTEs.[30]
  • 90.2% was Australis Seafoods’ employee retention rate in 2024.[33]
  • 1,557 Australis Seafoods employees held indefinite contracts in 2024, including 1,072 men and 485 women.[33]
  • 141 Australis Seafoods employees held fixed-term contracts in 2024, including 100 men and 41 women.[33]
  • Full-time employment in Irish salmon farming increased 23% in 2024.[30]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[34]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[35]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[36]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[36]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred part-time remote work in 2024.[37]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed globally in 2024, respondents averaged 2.1 work-at-home days per week.[38]
  • 13% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred full-time on-site work in 2024.[37]
  • Across employers discussed in a food-industry hybrid-work survey, about 90% had adopted some form of hybrid work, although the figure was not limited to agriculture and food production.[38]
  • 84% of Australian agribusiness organisations planned no change to existing flexible or hybrid work arrangements in 2026.[39]

Upskilling in the fish farming industry

  • 1,872 Australis Seafoods employees participated in internal talks or mutual-reporting sessions in 2024.[33]
  • 438 internal talks or mutual-reporting sessions were provided by Australis Seafoods in 2024.[33]
  • 10.8 average training hours were recorded for female Bakkafrost employees in 2023.[40]
  • 1,438 Australis Seafoods employees participated in external courses in 2024.[33]
  • 27.9 average training hours were recorded for male Bakkafrost employees in 2023.[40]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[41]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[41]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[41]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[41]
  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[42]

DEI in the fish farming industry

  • 609 women participated in Australis Seafoods’ external training in 2024.[33]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Commercial reach is measured by country count and meals supplied: Mowi supplied 9.7 million meals per day in 2024, with products reaching 70 countries.

Customer experience in the fish farming industry

  • 6,861 tonnes of turbot and 1,806 tonnes of sole were sold by Stolt Sea Farm in 2024, both record sales volumes for the company.[43]
  • 54 countries received SalMar salmon products in 2024, with Europe, Asia and North America identified as its main markets.[44]
  • 9.7 million meals per day were supplied by Mowi to customers through its farmed-seafood business.[45]
  • 70 countries received Mowi seafood products in 2024, giving its farmed-salmon customers access to a broad international supply network.[45]
  • 30% was the year-on-year increase in Stolt Sea Farm’s fresh value-added product sales in 2024, indicating stronger demand for convenience-oriented products.[43]

Customer retention in the fish farming industry

  • More than 10 years was the average collaboration length for BioMar’s top-20 customers in 2025.[46]
  • 82% of BioMar’s sales volume in 2024 came from customer cohorts established in 2020 or earlier.[46]
  • 94% was BioMar’s five-year gross revenue retention rate for its 2021 top-20 customer cohort, measured in 2025.[46]
  • 73% of BioMar’s sales volume in 2023 came from customer cohorts established in 2020 or earlier.[46]
  • 84% of BioMar’s sales volume in 2025 came from customer cohorts established in 2020 or earlier.[46]

Customer acquisition in the fish farming industry

  • 66% of surveyed U.S. aquaculture support organizations selected networking with potential buyers or distributors as useful to producers.[47]
  • 69% of surveyed U.S. aquaculture support organizations selected help with market assessments and target-market identification as useful to producers.[47]
  • 57% of surveyed U.S. aquaculture support organizations selected assistance with branding and promotional strategies as useful to producers.[47]
  • 21% was the increase in BioMar joint-venture feed volumes in China and Türkiye in 2025, indicating geographic customer expansion.[48]
  • 13% was BioMar’s increase in aquafeed volume in 2025, driven by growth across shrimp, salmon and selected-species customer segments.[48]

Customer loyalty in the fish farming industry

  • 8.8% was the improvement in Stolt Sea Farm’s sole sale price in 2024 compared with 2023.[43]
  • 41 was Stolt-Nielsen’s consolidated 2024 net promoter score, including the Stolt Sea Farm aquaculture business.[43]
  • 14.3% was the improvement in Stolt Sea Farm’s turbot sale price in 2024 compared with 2023.[43]
  • 13.8% was the increase in Stolt Sea Farm sole revenue in 2024, supported by its commercial marketing program and customer relationships.[43]
  • 46 was Stolt Sea Farm’s 2024 net promoter score, measuring customers’ willingness to recommend its farmed turbot and sole products.[43]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand exposure metrics are quantified in interactions: the aquaculture social-media study reported 152,982.5 mean engagement per TikTok post.

Marketing in the fish farming industry

  • $480.0 million in U.S. food-fish aquaculture sales came from catfish in 2023, representing 59% of food-fish sales.[49]
  • 3,453 aquaculture farms reported sales in the United States in 2023.[49]
  • 6% of U.S. food-fish aquaculture sales went to live haulers or brokers as the first point of sale in 2023.[49]
  • $327.0 million in U.S. mollusk aquaculture sales came from oysters in 2023, representing 57% of mollusk sales.[49]
  • 18% was the increase in the number of U.S. aquaculture farms with sales from 2018 to 2023.[49]

Digital marketing in the fish farming industry

  • 152,982.5 interactions was the mean engagement per aquaculture-related TikTok post.[50]
  • 12.7 interactions was the mean engagement per aquaculture-related Instagram post.[50]
  • 79,429.65 interactions was the mean engagement per aquaculture-related post across both platforms.[50]
  • 474 posts, or 51.9% of the dataset, came from TikTok in the aquaculture social-media study.[50]
  • 197 posts, or 21.6% of the dataset, were classified as general aquaculture content.[50]

Social media in the fish farming industry

  • 6.0% of aquaculture-related social-media posts were classified as negative in sentiment.[50]
  • 86,248 interactions was the mean engagement for negative aquaculture-related posts.[50]
  • 10 posts, or 1.1% of the dataset, were classified under environmental critique.[50]
  • 10 posts, or 1.1% of the dataset, were classified under social and community context.[50]
  • 44.4% of aquaculture-related social-media posts were classified as neutral in sentiment.[50]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food and drink influencer content produced an estimated $122 billion in earned media value globally in 2023.[51]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[51]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[51]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[51]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[51]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational execution ties production-health and feed metrics together, including 20.1 thousand tonnes incident-based salmon mortality for Mowi Group in 2024.

Process optimization in the fish farming industry

  • 3.89 kilograms was New Zealand King Salmon’s average harvest weight in FY2025, 20% above FY2024.[52]
  • 1.78 was New Zealand King Salmon’s feed-conversion ratio in FY2025, compared with 1.74 in FY2024.[52]
  • 501,530 tonnes was Mowi’s total harvested biomass in 2024, measured in gutted weight.[45]
  • 341,844 tonnes was Mowi’s live-weight biomass in the sea at year-end 2024.[45]
  • 4,879 tonnes was New Zealand King Salmon’s closing livestock biomass in FY2025.[52]

Operational efficiency in the fish farming industry

  • 20.1 thousand tonnes represented Mowi Group’s incident-based salmon mortality in 2024.[45]
  • 33.2% was incident-based mortality as a share of Mowi Group’s total salmon mortality in 2024.[45]
  • 195,600 tonnes gutted weight was Lerøy Seafood Group’s 2025 salmon and trout harvest from Norwegian farming operations.[12]
  • 0.1 thousand tonnes was Mowi Faroe Islands’ incident-based salmon mortality in 2024.[45]
  • 12.2 thousand tonnes was Mowi Norway’s incident-based salmon mortality in 2024.[45]

Quality management in the fish farming industry

  • 47% of ecological shrimp farms in the Mekong Delta survey applied ASC standards.[53]
  • 8% of shrimp-farming households in the Mekong Delta survey applied VietGAP standards.[53]
  • 40% of intensive shrimp farms in the Mekong Delta survey applied ASC standards.[53]
  • 2.0 million euros was Mowi Norway’s 2024 fair-value sensitivity to a 1% change in salmon quality, expressed as the reported negative sensitivity effect of EUR 2.0 million.[45]
  • 10% of shrimp-farming households in the Mekong Delta survey applied BAP standards.[53]

Supply chain in the fish farming industry

  • 29,393 tonnes was Mowi’s 2024 consumer-product sales volume in the Americas.[45]
  • 182,111 tonnes was Mowi’s 2024 consumer-product sales volume in Europe.[45]
  • 3.41 New Zealand dollars per kilogram was New Zealand King Salmon’s FY2025 feed cost.[52]
  • 21% was Mowi Group’s contract share guidance for the third quarter of 2024.[45]
  • 35,829 tonnes was Mowi’s 2024 consumer-product sales volume in Asia.[45]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[54]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[55]
  • 66% of Queensland food-processing businesses engaged in contract manufacturing to some extent in 2010, including contracting work in or out.[55]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[56]
  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[9]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressure shows in feed and sales price changes: Norwegian Atlantic salmon averaged NOK 68.26 per kilogram in 2024, down 1.4% from 2023.

Pricing strategy in the fish farming industry

  • NOK 68.26 per kilogram was the 2024 average sales price for Norwegian Atlantic salmon, down 1.4% from 2023.[57]
  • $33.78 per kilogram was Queensland’s 2024–25 average redclaw crayfish price.[58]
  • $12.88 per kilogram was Queensland’s 2024–25 average silver-perch price, down from $20.52 per kilogram in 2023–24.[58]
  • 23% was Mowi’s 2024 contract share for Norwegian salmon, compared with 25% in 2023.[45]
  • $12.05 per dozen was Queensland’s 2024–25 average edible-oyster price, up from $8.53 in 2023–24.[58]

Cost reduction in the fish farming industry

  • 45% was the increase in Irish farmed-salmon feed costs in 2024.[30]
  • 40% of Irish farmed-salmon operating costs were feed inputs in 2024.[30]
  • 30% of Irish farmed-salmon operating costs were other operational costs in 2024.[30]
  • 4% of Irish farmed-salmon costs were depreciation in 2024.[30]
  • €30 million in annual savings was targeted by Mowi’s new global cost-savings programme for 2025.[45]

Profitability in the fish farming industry

  • 39.0% was the 2024 average equity ratio for Norwegian salmon and rainbow-trout grow-out companies.[57]
  • 17.4% was the 2024 average return on total assets for Norwegian salmon and rainbow-trout hatcheries.[57]
  • NOK 11.5 billion was the 2024 ordinary pre-tax result for Norwegian food-fish production companies.[57]
  • NOK 14.3 billion was the combined 2024 ordinary pre-tax result for Norwegian salmon and rainbow-trout production companies.[57]
  • €2.42 per kilogram was Mowi’s 2024 operational EBIT for Faroese salmon.[45]

Financial planning in the fish farming industry

  • $20,000 was the estimated cost of drilling a 20-gallon-per-minute well in the Minnesota aquaculture feasibility analysis.[59]
  • $1,100 per acre was the median site-preparation and excavation cost used in the Minnesota aquaculture feasibility analysis.[59]
  • $6,745 per acre was the 2024 agricultural-land cost used in a Minnesota food-fish aquaculture feasibility analysis.[59]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Specialized product markets extend beyond farming, with the projected global aquaculture-vaccine market at $230.4 million in 2025 and $467.3 million by 2033.

Product development in the fish farming industry

  • 27% is the estimated conversion rate from scientific research and patents into fish aquaculture applications before including insect-feed technologies; 2025, global.[60]
  • 9.4% is the projected compound annual growth rate of the global aquaculture-vaccine market from 2026 to 2033.[61]
  • USD 467.3 million is the projected global aquaculture-vaccine market size for 2033.[61]
  • More than 200 fish species are farmed globally, increasing the need for species- and region-specific vaccine development; 2026, global aquaculture.[62]
  • USD 230.4 million was the estimated global aquaculture-vaccine market size in 2025.[61]

Product lifecycle in the fish farming industry

  • USD 310 billion was the approximate global farm-gate value of aquaculture production in 2022.[63]
  • 24.3 million tonnes of animal aquaculture production was non-fed in 2020.[20]
  • More than 50% of aquatic-animal production for direct human consumption came from aquaculture in 2022, the first year this threshold was exceeded.[63]
  • 66% was the approximate share of finfish in world aquaculture production in 2020.[20]
  • 130.9 million tonnes was global aquaculture production in 2022, including aquatic animals and algae.[63]

After-sales in the fish farming industry

  • 299 ASC-certified salmon farms reported seabed-health and maintenance measures in 2024.[64]
  • 151 ASC-certified salmon farms reported engagement with local communities in 2024.[64]
  • 188 ASC-certified shrimp farms reported responsible feed-ingredient measures in 2024.[64]
  • NOK 20 million was Trykkluftservice’s reported revenue in 2025 from compressor and compressed-air services serving aquaculture and other customers.[22]
  • 315 ASC-certified shrimp farms reported disease-control or antibiotic-use measures in 2024.[64]

Value proposition in the fish farming industry

  • USD 1.5 trillion is the estimated sustainable-aquaculture investment opportunity through 2050.[65]
  • USD 371 billion was the farm-gate value of global aquaculture production of aquatic animals in 2024.[20]
  • 9,604 jobs were supported by U.S. food-fish farms, including direct, indirect and induced employment, according to a farm-level economic-impact study.[66]
  • More than 100 million tonnes of aquatic animals were produced by aquaculture in 2024.[20]
  • 6% of global farmed-shrimp production was represented by ASC-certified shrimp farms in 2024.[64]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Environmental performance is tracked with quantitative indicators, including 63.9 million tonnes of CO2e emitted annually by global aquaculture farms, per a 2026 assessment.

Sustainability in the fish farming industry

  • 59% of global aquatic animal production came from aquaculture in 2024.[9]
  • 160,318 tonnes of farmed seafood were produced in Canada in 2024.[67]
  • 100% of reported Canadian farm sites were remediated before a new generation of fish was transferred in 2024.[68]
  • 57 aquaculture systems across multiple regions were assessed using 88 environmental, economic and social performance metrics.[69]
  • 99.3% of Canadian ocean farms used underwater feed-system monitoring equipment in 2024.[68]

ESG in the fish farming industry

  • 68% lower average antibiotic use was reported by Global Salmon Initiative members in 2025 compared with 2013.[70]
  • 27% of Cermaq employees were women in 2024.[71]
  • 79% lower average medicinal sea-lice treatment use was reported by Global Salmon Initiative members in 2025 compared with 2013.[70]
  • 3,000 people were employed by Cermaq in 2024.[71]
  • 193,000 tonnes was Cermaq’s 2024 sales volume.[71]

Ethics in the fish farming industry

  • 1.3 billion fish were estimated to be raised annually for food in United States offshore and land-based aquaculture systems.[72]
  • 2,700 employees were covered by Cermaq’s 2024 sustainability-report workforce figure.[71]
  • 96% was Cermaq’s employee presence-at-work rate in 2024.[71]
  • 4.5 lost-time injuries per million working hours were recorded by Cermaq in 2024.[71]
  • 0.0002% of fish in Cermaq pens escaped from its operations in 2024.[71]

CSR in the fish farming industry

  • 27% of Cermaq’s workforce were women in 2024.[71]
  • More than $1.2 million was donated to Canadian nonprofit organizations and First Nations supporting food security by reporting aquaculture companies.[68]
  • 153,000 salmon meals were donated in Canada by aquaculture companies reporting to the 2024 industry sustainability report.[68]
  • 50 countries received healthy meals supplied by Cermaq in 2024.[71]
  • $1.594 billion was Cermaq’s operating revenue in 2024.[71]

Circular economy in the fish farming industry

  • 4 Canadian aquaculture companies pursued restorative, multispecies or co-production aquaculture opportunities in 2024.[68]
  • 92.14% of fishmeal and fish oil in Canadian aquaculture feed came from certified sustainably managed or compliant fisheries in 2024.[68]
  • 87.95% of feed used by reporting Canadian aquaculture companies came from non-marine nutritional ingredients in 2024.[68]
  • 99.3% of Canadian ocean farms had underwater feed-system monitoring equipment in 2024.[68]
  • 49.15% of non-fish protein in Canadian aquaculture feed was certified under sustainability programs in 2024.[68]

Carbon footprint in the fish farming industry

  • 0.77% was Mowi Scotland’s monthly average mortality rate for sea-farmed salmon in the first half of 2025, a production-health indicator linked to resource use and emissions intensity.[45]
  • 63.9 million tonnes of CO2e were emitted annually by global aquaculture farms, according to a 2026 global assessment.[15]
  • 17% lower feed-related greenhouse-gas emissions per kilogram of salmon were reported by Cermaq in 2024 compared with 2023.[71]
  • 0.3 kilograms of CO2e were emitted per kilogram of fish produced by Cermaq in 2024 according to its key-figure intensity metric.[71]
  • 4.0% of the terrestrial carbon sink could be offset by total global aquaculture emissions, according to the 2026 assessment.[15]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade and expansion are quantified through exports and production base, including Norway exporting $15.98 billion and China exporting $20.18 billion in 2024.

Globalization in the fish farming industry

  • 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals were produced by aquaculture globally in 2024, representing 53% of total aquatic-animal production.[20]
  • Viet Nam exported $8.30 billion of fishery and aquaculture products in 2024.[20]
  • Ecuador exported $9.20 billion of fishery and aquaculture products in 2024.[20]
  • Norway exported $15.98 billion of fishery and aquaculture products in 2024.[20]
  • China exported $20.18 billion of fishery and aquaculture products in 2024.[20]

Cultural adaptation in the fish farming industry

  • 34% more was the premium U.S. consumers said they would pay for locally produced fish and seafood.[82]
  • 27.4% of surveyed consumers in Eleuthera, The Bahamas, rejected consuming farm-raised conch.[83]
  • 53.2% of surveyed consumers in Eleuthera, The Bahamas, expressed willingness to purchase aquaculture products.[83]
  • 44% more was the premium U.S. consumers said they would pay for fresh fish and seafood from aquaculture-related surveys.[82]
  • 42% of surveyed Chinese consumers saw no difference between farmed and wild aquatic products.[13]

Supplier management in the fish farming industry

  • 2.07 million tonnes of aquafeed were sold by Cargill in 2025 through 12 dedicated mills in eight countries.[84]
  • 0.4% of Norwegian salmon-feed ingredients consisted of single-cell protein, insect meal, fermented products and microalgae in 2020.[66]
  • 8.3% of feed ingredients used in Norwegian salmon farming were sourced domestically in 2020.[66]
  • 22.4% of Norwegian salmon-feed ingredients were marine-based in 2020.[66]
  • 19% of soy protein used in Norwegian salmon feed was sourced from Europe and Russia.[83]

Stakeholder management in the fish farming industry

  • 8,212 improvements were made by certified seafood producers in 2024.[85]
  • 320 traceability improvements were recorded by certified seafood producers in 2024.[85]
  • 2,229 environmental-responsibility improvements were recorded by certified seafood producers in 2024.[85]
  • 50% of Canadians said government investment in reducing aquaculture's environmental impacts would demonstrate responsible management.[86]
  • 11% of Canadians said information about conditions and practices at the fish farm was important when buying farmed fish.[86]

Distribution channels in the fish farming industry

  • 68.8% of U.S. direct seafood businesses sold directly to consumers in the 2023 survey.[87]
  • 24.18% of Maine aquaculture producers planned to use direct restaurant sales for new markets.[88]
  • 90.7% of Western Pacific direct seafood businesses sold directly to consumers in the 2023 survey.[87]
  • 66.1% of Pacific-region direct seafood businesses sold directly to retailers in the 2023 survey.[87]
  • 52.79% of surveyed Maine aquaculture producers' sales volume went through wholesalers or distributors.[88]

Key questions about the fish farming industry

How big is the fish farming (aquaculture) market?
Aquaculture produced 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2024 and generated $391 billion in output, including algae.
How fast is aquaculture expected to grow?
OECD-FAO projects farmed aquatic-animal production to reach 118 million tonnes by 2034, about 1.8% annual growth over the outlook period.
Which companies lead the fish farming industry?
Mowi leads Gitnux's 2026 fish farming ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with harvested 559,000 tonnes of salmon in 2025 and operating margin 12.7%. SalMar is the runner-up at 9.1, with harvested 284,500 tonnes of salmon in 2025 and operating margin 10.6%.
What technology shifts are showing up in fish farming operations?
Automation and monitoring deepen: 93,000 farms were estimated automation-enabled in Southeast Asian aquaculture in 2025, and 100+ cages were made visible through a single live dashboard in 2025.
How concentrated is production geographically and at the company level?
Asia produced 75% of global fisheries and aquaculture output in 2022; China accounted for 40%, Indonesia 10% and India 7%.
What are the main economic and operational risks for farmed fish?
Aquaculture economics remain sensitive to feed costs, with OECD-FAO expecting fish prices to begin rising slowly after 2027; growth is also constrained by disease and biosecurity risks.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Fish Farming Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fish-farming-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Fish Farming Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/fish-farming-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Fish Farming Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fish-farming-industry-statistics.

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