The Aquaculture sector in Northern Ireland employs around 170 people, both full time and part time. Trout and salmon production from licences farms is valued at around £2.5 million per annum and shellfish production is valued at over £3.5 million per annum.

Northern Ireland Seafood currently has eight member companies (24% of membership) involved in aquaculture. As part of the effort to increase raw material supply, Northern Ireland Seafood published an Aquaculture Development Plan in October 1995. This plan indicated that output of existing farmed species of fish and shellfish in Northern Ireland is 1,600 tonnes per annum valued at £4million. Rainbow trout accounts for the majority of production by weight, followed by oysters and salmon as illustrated below:

NI Seafood are continuing to work with the Department of Agriculture to advance recommendations made in the Aquaculture Development Plan (launched By NI Seafood in Nov 1995), and have established an Aquaculture Council with representatives from Government and Industry.

The Aquaculture Development Plan 1995, highlighted that there is potential to increase aquaculture production in NI to about 23,300 tonnes per annum, with a market value of £31.2 million.

As part of the ongoing progression of the recommendations in the Plan, Northern Ireland Seafood has established an Aquaculture Council composed of representatives from Industry and Government. The Council is a non-decision making body that focuses primarily on facilitating the flow of information between all sectors of aquaculture and Government.

Northern Ireland Seafood in conjunction with BIM (Irish Sea Fisheries Board) have developed a Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative to focus on resource development and quality and environmental issues in the aquaculture sector in NI and the Border Counties. To co-ordinate this initiative a project team has been recruited to focus on two principle strands of activity; resource development, and environment and quality issues. Funded under the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation for Northern Ireland and the Border Counties, this programme is administered by the Department of Agriculture for NI and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.