How does aquaculture contribute to food production along Atlantic coasts?

Coastal aquaculture plays a vital and expanding role in food production along Atlantic coasts, serving as a necessary supplement to natural marine supplies that have faced significant pressure from overfishing.12

The practice has a long history in the region, with shellfish culturing—including oysters, mussels, and various clams—dating back to the Middle Ages in protected Atlantic embayments and estuaries. In more recent decades, the industry has scaled up significantly to include finfish production. Atlantic salmon is a primary example, now extensively farmed in large-scale pens across Scandinavia, Scotland, the Canadian Maritime Provinces, and Maine.1

Current research and development efforts in Europe, Canada, and the United States are focused on advancing open-ocean aquaculture. By moving operations into these environments, producers aim to minimize conflicts with other coastal uses while increasing the output of species such as cod, haddock, fluke, sea scallops, and mussels. This shift toward controlled husbandry is essential for meeting global food demands as wild fish stocks in many Atlantic regions remain classified as overfished.12