Harvester processor linkages

In 2025, DFO commissioned Counterpoint Consulting to identify the regional distribution of where commercial fish harvest is processed and wholesaled in BC. Understanding the links between harvesting and processing helps DFO understand the impacts of fisheries management decisions on the water on communities where a large part of value-added work (processing, handling, transport) occurs. Links from the crew on the vessels, to the ports where the harvest is landed, to the processing plants where the harvest is trucked, all play an important role in providing jobs and household income.

Key coastwide metrics, all values are from 2024 and in 2024 dollars:

• Landed value ($367M)
• Wholesale value ($551M)
• There is a considerable amount of value-added handling and transport between where harvest is captured and where it is processed.

Coastal communities are supported by:

• Small Craft Harbours: There are approximately 100 small craft harbours in BC, each adding to the value chain and jobs in local communities. Around half of them are located on Vancouver Island.
• Processing Companies: In 2024, there were 181 companies across BC that processed and wholesaled wild fish. The highest concentration by both number of facilities and revenue was in the Lower Mainland (Richmond and Vancouver in particular).

Wholesale regions map

Although the majority of harvest occurs in the north, the majority of the processing occurs in the Lower Mainland.

Harvest value by fishery chart

Proportion of harvest value by fishery:

• Crab by trap (23%)
• Shrimp and prawn by trap (19%)
• Halibut (13%)
• Geoduck (13%)
• Groundfish, trawl (8%)
• Other (24%)

Crab by trap makes up the majority of commercial landed value ($85M), followed by shrimp and prawn by trap ($70M) and halibut ($47M).

Footnotes

• Data is in 2024$ and based on 2024 landed value from wild harvest. Aquaculture production is not included.
• Harvester-wholesaler linkages are based on Counterpoint Consulting. (2025). Harvester-Wholesaler Linkages Final Report. This report used data from 2022 to calculate ratios of landed value to wholesale value by location.

Wholesale regions map

Crab by trap had the highest landed value in the north coast of Vancouver Island, followed by geoduck and halibut.

Most of the harvest on the north coast of Vancouver Island was processed in the lower mainland and the north coast.

In 2024, there was $178.7M in landed value across all fisheries in the north coast.

Proportion of landed value by fishery and wholesale region charts

• Haida Gwaii: 100% halibut
• North Coast/Prince Rupert: 57% crab by trap, 19% halibut, 9% shrimp and prawn by trap, 7% groundfish trawl, 3% salmon gillnet, and 5% other
• Northern Vancouver Island: 86% halibut, 6% salmon seine, 4% sablefish longline, 2% lingcod, and 2% other
• West Coast Vancouver Island: 78% groundfish trawl, 22% halibut
• No processing (personal use/public sale): 52% crab by trap, 28% halibut, 8% rockfish, 5% groundfish trawl, 3% shrimp trawl, 2% lingcod, and 2% other
• Lower Mainland: 31% geoduck, 27% halibut, 12% crab by trap, 6% salmon troll, 6% shrimp and prawn by trap, 6% sablefish longline, 2% red sea urchin, 2% groundfish trawl, and 8% other
• Interior of BC: 100% salmon troll
• Sunshine Coast: 100% shrimp and prawn by trap
• Southern Vancouver Island: 49% shellfish dive, 20% groundfish trawl, 14% sablefish trap, 9% salmon troll, 3% halibut, and 5% other

Wholesale regions chart

In order of highest wholesale value to lowest wholesale value (in 2024 dollars):

1. Lower Mainland ($143.5M in wholesale value, $104.6M in landed value)
2. North Coast/Prince Rupert ($67.3M in wholesale value, $47.8M in landed value)
3. Southern Vancouver Island ($22.4M in wholesale value, $15.8M in landed value)
4. Northern Vancouver Island ($5.3M in wholesale value, $3.9M in landed value)
5. Sunshine Coast ($1.9M in wholesale value, $1.0M in landed value)
6. West Coast Vancouver Island ($1.2M in wholesale value, $0.6M in landed value)
7. Interior of BC ($1.1M in wholesale value, $0.8M in landed value)
8. Haida Gwaii ($0.6M in wholesale value, $0.5M in landed value)
9. No processing (personal use/public sale) (no wholesale value, $3.8M in landed value)

Footnotes

• Data is in 2024$ and based on 2024 landed value from wild harvest. Aquaculture production is not included.
• Harvester-wholesaler linkages are based on Counterpoint Consulting. (2025). Harvester-Wholesaler Linkages Final Report. This report used data from 2022 to calculate ratios of landed value to wholesale value by location. Harvest areas refer to where harvest was captured, not necessarily where it was landed.
• Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Wholesale regions map

Tuna had the highest landed value on the west coast of Vancouver Island, followed by groundfish trawl and crab by trap.

Most of the harvest on the west coast of Vancouver Island was processed in the lower mainland, followed by southern Vancouver Island.

In 2024, there was $81.7M in landed value across all fisheries in the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Proportion of landed value by fishery and wholesale region charts

• North Coast/Prince Rupert: 56% groundfish trawl, 26% shrimp and prawn by trap, 5% salmon gillnet, 4% halibut, 3% salmon seine, and 6% other
• Northern Vancouver Island: 44% tuna, 16% sablefish longline, 15% halibut, 14% salmon seine, 7% groundfish trawl, 2% lingcod, and 2% other
• West Coast Vancouver Island: 64% groundfish trawl, 28% salmon troll, and 8% lingcod
• No processing (personal use/public sale): 43% lingcod, 13% groundfish trawl, 11% salmon seine, 11% halibut, 8% crab by trap, 5% sablefish longline, 5% rockfish, and 4% other
• Lower Mainland: 23% tuna, 22% crab by trap, 12% geoduck, 12% shrimp and prawn by trap, 11% groundfish trawl, 7% sablefish longline, 4% sablefish trap, 4% halibut, and 5% other
• Interior of BC: 100% salmon troll
• Southern Vancouver Island: 31% groundfish trawl, 22% shrimp and prawn by trap, 11% tuna, 10% sablefish trap, 6% shellfish dive, 6% salmon gillnet, 4% salmon troll, 4% crab by trap, and 6% other

Wholesale regions chart

In order of highest wholesale value to lowest wholesale value (in 2024 dollars):

1. Lower Mainland ($88.7M in wholesale value, $57.7M in landed value)
2. Southern Vancouver Island ($31.0M in wholesale value, $17.3M in landed value)
3. North Coast/Prince Rupert ($12.5M in wholesale value, $6.2M in landed value)
4. Northern Vancouver Island ($4.2M in wholesale value, $2.7M in landed value)
5. West Coast Vancouver Island ($0.4M in wholesale value, $0.2M in landed value)
6. Interior of BC ($0.3M in wholesale value, $0.2M in landed value)
7. No processing (personal use/public sale) (no wholesale value, $1.6M in landed value)

Footnotes

• Data is in 2024$ and based on 2024 landed value from wild harvest. Aquaculture production is not included.
• Harvester-wholesaler linkages are based on Counterpoint Consulting. (2025). Harvester-Wholesaler Linkages Final Report. This report used data from 2022 to calculate ratios of landed value to wholesale value by location. Harvest areas refer to where harvest was captured, not necessarily where it was landed.
• Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Wholesale regions map

Crab by trap had the largest landed value in the fraser, followed by shrimp and prawn by trap.

Nearly all of the harvest in the fraser was processed in the lower mainland.

In 2024, there was $13.0M in landed value across all fisheries in the lower fraser (marine waters).

Proportion of landed value by fishery and wholesale region charts

• North Coast/Prince Rupert: 100% groundfish trawl
• Southern Vancouver Island: 100% shrimp trawl
• West Coast Vancouver Island: 100% groundfish trawl
• No processing (personal use/public sale): 38% shrimp trawl, 33% groundfish trawl, and 29% crab by trap
• Lower Mainland: 71% crab by trap, 28% shrimp and prawn by trap, and 1% other
• Sunshine Coast: 100% shrimp and prawn by trap

Wholesale regions chart

In order of highest wholesale value to lowest wholesale value (in 2024 dollars):

1. Lower Mainland ($18.0M in wholesale value, $12.7M in landed value)
2. North Coast/Prince Rupert ($0.2M in wholesale value, $0.1M in landed value)
3. West Coast Vancouver Island ($0.1M in wholesale value, less than $0.05M in landed value)
4. Sunshine Coast (less than $0.05M in wholesale value, less than $0.05M in landed value)
5. Southern Vancouver Island (less than $0.05M in wholesale value, less than $0.05M in landed value)
6. No processing (personal use/public sale) (no wholesale value, $0.2M in landed value)

Footnotes

• Data is in 2024$ and based on 2024 landed value from wild harvest. Aquaculture production is not included.
• Harvester-wholesaler linkages are based on Counterpoint Consulting. (2025). Harvester-Wholesaler Linkages Final Report. This report used data from 2022 to calculate ratios of landed value to wholesale value by location. Harvest areas refer to where harvest was captured, not necessarily where it was landed.
• Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Wholesale regions map

Shrimp and prawn by trap had the largest landed value in the strait of georgia, followed by crab by trap and geoduck.

Most of the harvest in the strait of georgia was processed in the lower mainland and southern Vancouver Island.

In 2024, there was $88.8M in landed value across all fisheries in the strait of georgia.

Proportion of landed value by fishery and wholesale region charts

• North Coast/Prince Rupert: 82% shrimp and prawn by trap, 6% salmon seine, 5% groundfish trawl, 3% salmon troll, and 4% other
• Northern Vancouver Island: 82% shrimp and prawn by trap, 9% salmon seine, 8% halibut, and 1% other
• West Coast Vancouver Island: 100% groundfish trawl
• Interior of BC: 100% shrimp and prawn by trap
• Lower Mainland: 38% crab by trap, 33% shrimp and prawn by trap, 14% geoduck, 6% shellfish dive, 3% groundfish trawl, 2% salmon seine, 1% halibut, 3% other
• Sunshine Coast: 99% shrimp and prawn by trap, 1% crab by trap
• Southern Vancouver Island: 53% shrimp and prawn by trap, 16% shellfish dive, 7% groundfish trawl, 6% herring driftnet, 4% salmon seine, 4% crab by trap, 3% salmon gillnet, and 7% other
• No processing (personal use/public sale): 68% shrimp and prawn by trap, 13% rockfish, 10% halibut, and 9% other

Wholesale regions chart

In order of highest wholesale value to lowest wholesale value (in 2024 dollars):

1. Lower Mainland ($80.5M in wholesale value, $51.6M in landed value)
2. Southern Vancouver Island ($42.9M in wholesale value, $20.6M in landed value)
3. Sunshine Coast ($14.3M in wholesale value, $7.8M in landed value)
4. North Coast/Prince Rupert ($6.8M in wholesale value, $3.6M in landed value)
5. Northern Vancouver Island ($5.8M in wholesale value, $3.2M in landed value)
6. West Coast Vancouver Island ($1.9M in wholesale value, $0.6M in landed value)
7. Interior of BC (less than $0.05M in wholesale value, less than $0.05M in landed value)
8. No processing (personal use/public sale) (no wholesale value, $1.4M in landed value)

Footnotes

• Data is in 2024$ and based on 2024 landed value from wild harvest. Aquaculture production is not included.
• Harvester-wholesaler linkages are based on Counterpoint Consulting. (2025). Harvester-Wholesaler Linkages Final Report. This report used data from 2022 to calculate ratios of landed value to wholesale value by location. Harvest areas refer to where harvest was captured, not necessarily where it was landed.
• Totals may not add up due to rounding.