Aquaculture Initiatives

A three-part, spliced image depicts a salmon steak, a clump of seaweed, and a shellfish farmer sorting oysters on the deck of a boat.

Aquaculture is the farming of fish, shellfish and seaweed in oceans, lakes and on land. An important source of food, aquaculture creates jobs and supports local communities. Aquaculture isn’t new; in fact, it’s ancient. Indigenous peoples were the first to practice aquaculture; they used traditional knowledge to farm clams and other seafood. Today, Canada continues to be a leader in aquaculture, and innovation is key to ensuring the sustainability of this important food sector.

In partnership with government, academia and communities, Ingenium has developed a broad range of programming, exhibitions and research that dive into aquaculture.

Exhibitions

A large, blue-green fish is centered against a backdrop of water, with more fish visible in the background. On the left and right, there are colourful, stylized drawings of fish and seaweed against a white background.

Aquaculture: Farming the Waters

At the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Aquaculture: Farming the Waters is a long-term exhibition that invites you on a journey to discover how Canadian farmers produce seafood — not only on our coasts, but across the country.

The side of a shipping crate opens up to reveal exhibition panels and a countertop with text, images, and hands-on interactives. The interior is coloured with a light green, algae-inspired design.

Travelling Exhibition

Currently in development, the Aquaculture: Farming the Waters travelling exhibition uses tactile models and interactive videos to introduce visitors to some of the fish, shellfish, and seaweed raised in Canada.

Healthy Oceans for a Healthy Planet

A temporary exhibit at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Healthy Oceans for a Healthy Planet examines the challenges facing our oceans due to pollution, habitat destruction, and overfishing.

A photograph taken from an aerial view shows a small fishing boat along the coast of a rocky shoreline. A man in a black raincoat leans over the edge of the boat to pull in a line from the water; you can faintly see large pieces of kelp attached to the line, under the surface of the water.

Bákvḷá

This temporary, photographic exhibition at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is a co-curated collaboration with the Heiltsuk First Nation in Bella Bella, B.C. Through a series of stunning images, the Bákvḷá exhibition focuses on the Heiltsuk herring roe-on-kelp fishery — in the pristine waters along British Columbia’s central coast — and the healthy food it produces.