The spotlight will be on the province’s growing aquaculture industry as Cold Harvest 2023 gets underway in St. John’s this week.

Executive Director of the Aquaculture Industry Association, Jamie Baker, says the industry represents about a quarter of a billion dollars to the local economy annually.

He’s hopeful that the industry will grow at a steady rate over the coming years with hopes that the sector will reach half to three quarters of a billion dollars per year.

He says the conference will focus on discussing ways for the industry to grow on the finfish side of the business, but challenges remain when it comes to growing the shellfish side of the business.

Cold Harvest 2023 gets underway Wednesday at the Delta in St. John’s.