In Nova Scotia aquaculture was first practised by the local First Nation’s communities such as the Mi’kmaq First Nations Groups, who transferred fish species from one stream or pond to another in order to promote larger population sizes. As the popularity of aquaculture developed from a local source of food into a profitable source of revenue for the Province, the need for an industry association grew, and the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia was established in 1977. For nearly 20 years the AANS was run by a group of hardworking volunteers and it was not until 1994 that the association was officially registered as a not for profit and hired its first Executive Director.
From the beginning, the purpose of AANS was to develop and support the current and future sea farmers within the Province; to this day the Association holds these same standards. The board of directors and dedicated staff continue to represent the mutual interest of all the aquaculture businesses within the Province.