Today the US Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Research Service, released the 2023 Census of Aquaculture.

For Census purposes, an aquaculture farm is defined as any place from which $1,000 or more of aquaculture products were produced and sold or distributed for restoration, conservation, enhancement, or recreation during the 2023 census year.

Total sales of aquaculture products in 2023 were $1.9 billion, an increase of 26% from 2018.  In 2023, there were 3,453 aquaculture farms with sales in the United States, up 18% from 2018. Five states – Mississippi, Washington, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama – accounted for 55% of aquaculture sales and 49% of aquaculture farms in 2023. Food fish and mollusks were the largest product categories for sales, with catfish and oysters the top species.

By major sector the number of farms and farm gate sales were:

• Food Fish – 968 farms, $819,556,000 sales
• Mollusks – 1,140 farms, $575,455,000 sales
• Crustaceans – 848 farms, $175,746,000 sales
• Ornamental Fish – 315 farms, $77,095,000 sales
• Sports Fish – 249 farms, $54,390,000 sales
• Bait Fish – 205 farms, $48,125,000 sales
• Miscellaneous Aquaculture – 238 farms, $157,655,000 sales

The top ten states by sales value were: Mississippi ($276,950,000), Washington ($276,890,000), Louisiana ($195,244,000), Florida ($165,940,000), Alabama ($131,906,000), California ($118,978,000), Virginia ($104,225,000), Arkansas ($84,172,000), Maine ($70,819,000) and Idaho ($41,208,000).

The 2023 Census of Aquaculture provides detailed information in 24 Tables breaking down each major sector by state production, state level production and sales, freshwater and saltwater acres used in production, sources of water, production methods, sales by first point of sale, and production for conservation, recreation, enhancement or restoration. Data highlights include:

• The average sales per farm was $552,569.
• Sales of food fish was $819.6 million, an increase of 14% from 2018.
• The sales of mollusks was $575.5 million, an increase of 30% from 2018.
• Crustacean sales in 2023 was $175.7 million, up 75% from 2018.
• Catfish sales, valued at $480.0 million, accounted for 59% of all food fish sales in 2023.
• Oyster sales, valued at $327.0 million, accounted for 57% of mollusk sales in 2023.

Aquaculture is defined as the farming of aquatic organisms, including baitfish, crustaceans, food fish, mollusks, ornamental fish, sport or game fish, and other aquaculture products. Farming involves some form of intervention in the rearing process, such as seeding, stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc. Fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic products caught or harvested by the public from non-controlled waters or beds are considered wild caught and are not included as aquaculture.

The Census of Aquaculture is a Census of Agriculture special study, or follow-on, that expands on the data collected for 2022. The last Census of Aquaculture was conducted in 2018. To access the 2023 Census of Aquaculture results and other agriculture census data, visit www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.