Classification
Product TypeIndustrial Product
Product FormPelleted or extruded dry feed
Industry PositionAnimal Nutrition Input (Aquaculture)
Market
Aquafeed in Canada is an industrial input market serving finfish aquaculture, including salmon farming in coastal British Columbia and Atlantic Canada. Supply is supported by domestic operations of global aquafeed producers (for example, Skretting and Cargill’s EWOS-branded aquaculture nutrition business) alongside imports of finished feed and feed ingredients. Market access and importation are governed federally by the CFIA under the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024, including ingredient approval pathways (CFIT) and product registration/licensing requirements for many feeds. Sustainability and traceability requirements in Canadian salmon supply chains can be shaped by third-party standards such as the ASC Feed Standard, which became mandatory under ASC’s programme in 2025–2026 for ASC-certified farms’ feed sourcing.
Market RoleDomestic producer and importer (aquaculture input market)
Domestic RoleKey input for salmonid aquaculture operations in coastal provinces
Risks
Regulatory Compliance HighCanada’s Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 create a hard market-access gate for aquafeed and its ingredients: unapproved livestock feed ingredients (not listed/approved in CFIT) are prohibited for import/sale for livestock feed use, and many imported mixed feeds require CFIA registration and importer licensing before import. Non-compliance can result in inadmissibility, detention, or enforcement actions that block trade.Run a pre-shipment compliance check against CFIT ingredient status, CFIA registration triggers (RG-1), licensing obligations for imported feeds, and AIRS-derived import conditions/documents for the specific HS code, origin, and end use.
Sustainability Compliance MediumFor Canadian salmon supply chains that rely on ASC certification, ASC requirements make compliant feed sourcing a potential market-access constraint: ASC’s feed programme requirements and updates (including the effective/mandatory ASC Feed Standard version changes in 2026) can require feed mills and ingredient due diligence alignment for certified farms to retain certification.Map customer certification requirements (ASC/BAP) and ensure feed mill/ingredient documentation supports due diligence, traceability, and any required third-party certifications (for example, ASC Feed Standard, MarinTrust) where demanded by buyers.
Logistics MediumModel inference — aquafeed is freight-intensive and deliveries to coastal aquaculture regions can be sensitive to transport disruptions and freight cost volatility, creating delivered-cost shocks or short-term supply interruptions for farms if buffer stocks are not maintained.Maintain safety stock policies aligned to farm production cycles and diversify transport routes/suppliers (West and East regional coverage) to reduce single-corridor disruption exposure.
Food Safety MediumCFIA’s feed regulatory framework includes safety standards and post-market oversight; non-conforming products (for example, contaminant exceedances or label non-compliance relative to incorporated-by-reference tables) can trigger enforcement actions and customer recalls, disrupting supply contracts.Implement supplier QA with lot-level COAs where relevant and verify compliance against CFIA’s incorporated-by-reference safety/label tables and any product-specific registration/approval conditions.
Sustainability- Responsible sourcing and traceability expectations for marine ingredients (fishmeal/fish oil) and high-risk plant commodities (for example, soy and palm) can be driven by aquaculture certification requirements relevant to Canadian salmon supply chains (ASC Feed Standard; BAP Feed Mill Standard updates).
- Deforestation and land-conversion risk due diligence in aquafeed ingredient supply chains is explicitly addressed by the ASC Feed Standard programme requirements.
- Ingredient innovation to reduce reliance on marine fish oils (for example, algal oil trials in salmon feed used in British Columbia) can be relevant to sustainability strategies and customer expectations.
Labor & Social- Labour rights and health & safety expectations for feed mills and upstream ingredient supply chains can be shaped by third-party aquafeed standards (for example, ASC Feed Standard), which explicitly addresses social and labour themes (including forced labour risk) in supply chains.
Standards- ASC Feed Standard (ASC Feed Certification Programme)
- Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Feed Mill Standard (Global Seafood Alliance)
- MarinTrust Standard / Chain of Custody (marine ingredients certification programme)
FAQ
Which Canadian authority regulates aquafeed (livestock feed) and what is the main legal framework?Aquafeed that falls under livestock feed is regulated federally by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) under the Feeds Act and the Feeds Regulations, 2024, which cover feed approval/registration, labelling, and compliance oversight.
Can aquafeed or its ingredients be imported into Canada if an ingredient is not approved for use in livestock feeds?No. If an ingredient intended for livestock feeds is not listed as approved in Canada’s Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT), it is treated as unapproved and cannot be imported for livestock feed use unless it is first approved by CFIA through the applicable process.
What tool does CFIA provide to help importers determine shipment-specific import requirements for feed and feed ingredients?CFIA’s Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) is a reference tool that shows import requirements for CFIA-regulated commodities and helps importers determine conditions and required documents based on HS code, origin, destination, and end use.