2015 Annual Survey of Aquaculture Industry

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Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP)

Reporting Guide

This guide is designed to provide additional information as you complete the 2015 Annual Survey of Aquaculture Industry. If you need more information, please call the Statistics Canada Help Line at the number below.

Help Line: 1-800-972-9692

Table of contents

Guidelines
Reporting instructions
Business activity
Reporting period information
Revenue
Expenses
Industry characteristics

Guidelines

Reporting instructions

The data requested can generally be obtained from:

  • the accounting records and financial statements for your business unit;
  • your employment and payroll records;
  • other sources (e.g., production manager).

Please report the data for the business unit identified on the questionnaire. Include only those operations located in Canada.

While completing the questionnaire:

  1. Please report all dollar amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars (CAN$ ‘000).
  2. Do not include sales tax.
  3. Percentages should be rounded to whole numbers.
  4. When precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.

Business activity

The description on file for this business or organization comes from the North American Industrial Classifications System (NAICS). This database contains a limited number of activity classifications. The classifications on file might be applicable for this business or organization, even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization main activity. This activity should generate the largest portion of value of your sales during the reporting period.

By selecting "Yes, this is the main activity.", you indicate that the description is applicable, and it describes the main economic activity which typically generates the most revenue for this business or organization.

By selecting "No, this is secondary activity.", you indicate that the description is applicable, but that there is a different economic activity which typically generates more revenue for this business or organization. You will be given a chance to describe this business or organization’s main activity, and select an appropriate classification.

By selecting "No, this description is not applicable.", you indicate that this description is not applicable as a main or a secondary activity of this business or organization. You will be given a chance to describe this business or organization’s main activity, and provide an appropriate classification.

If none of the above activities describes your main source of revenue, please call 1-800-972-9692 for further instructions.

Reporting period information

Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:

  • May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015
  • June 1, 2014 to May 31, 2015
  • July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015
  • August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015
  • September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015
  • October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015
  • November 1, 2014 to October 31, 2015
  • December 1, 2014 to November 30, 2015
  • January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015
  • February 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016
  • March 1, 2015 to February 28, 2016
  • April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2016

Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:

  • September 18, 2014 to September 15, 2015 (e.g., floating year-end)
  • June 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 (e.g., a newly opened business)

Revenue

  1. Sales of goods and services (e.g., fees, admissions, services revenue)

Sales of goods and services are defined as amounts derived from the sale of goods and services (cash or credit), falling within a business’s ordinary activities. Sales should be reported net of trade discount, value added tax and other taxes based on sales.

Include: Sales of finfish, molluscs, aquaculture services, aquaculture by-products, seed, sales of goods purchased for resale and consulting revenue.
Exclude: Transfers into inventory and consignment sales; federal, provincial and territorial sales taxes and excise duties and taxes; intercompany sales in consolidated financial statements.

  1. Rental and leasing

Include: Rental or leasing of apartments, commercial buildings, land, office space, residential housing, investments in co-tenancies and co-ownerships, hotel or motel rooms, long and short term vehicle leasing, machinery or equipment, storage lockers, etc.

  1. Commissions

Include: Commissions earned on the sale of products or services by businesses such as advertising agencies, brokers, insurance agents, lottery ticket sales, sales representatives, and travel agencies – Compensation could also be reported under this item (e.g., compensation for collecting sales tax).

  1. Subsidies (government assistance to offset certain eligible current expenses or to supplement current revenue)

Include: Grants, donations and fundraising; non-repayable grants, contributions and subsidies from all levels of government; revenue from private sector (corporate and individual) sponsorships, donations and fundraising.

  1. Royalties, rights, licensing and franchise fees

A royalty is defined as a payment received by the holder of a copyright, trademark or patent.

Include: Revenue received from the sale or use of all intellectual property rights of copyrighted materials such as musical, literary, artistic or dramatic works, sound recordings or the broadcasting of communication signals.

  1. Dividends

Include: Dividend income; dividends from Canadian sources; dividends from foreign sources; patronage dividends.
Exclude: Equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

  1. Interest

Include: Investment revenue; interest from foreign sources; interest from Canadian bonds and debentures; interest from Canadian mortgage loans; interest from other Canadian sources.
Exclude: Equity income from investments in subsidiaries or affiliates.

  1.  Other revenue – please specify:

Include: Amounts not included in questions 1 to 7 above.

  1. Total revenue

The sum of questions 1 to 8.

Expenses

  1. Purchases

Many business units distinguish their costs of materials from their other business expenses (selling, general and administrative). This item is included to allow you to easily record your costs/expenses according to your normal accounting practices.

Include: Feed, therapeutants, purchases of fish eggs, live fish, mollusc seed, spat and live larvae for grow-out or processing and purchases of goods for resale.

  1. Employment costs and expenses (for all employees who were issued a T4)
    1. Salaries, wages and commissions

Please report all salaries and wages (including taxable allowances and employment commissions as defined on the T4 – statement of remuneration paid) before deductions for this reporting period.

Include: Vacation pay; bonuses (including profit sharing); employee commissions; taxable allowances (e.g., room and board, vehicle allowances, gifts such as airline tickets for holidays); severance pay.
Exclude: All payments and expenses associated with casual labour and outside contract workers (report these amounts at question 3 - Subcontracts).

    1. Employee benefits

Include contributions to: Health plans; insurance plans; employment insurance; pension plans; workers’ compensation; association dues; contributions to any other employee benefits such as child care and supplementary unemployment benefit (SUB) plans; contributions to provincial and territorial health and education payroll taxes.

  1. Subcontracts

Subcontract expense refers to the purchasing of services from outside of the company rather than providing them in-house.

Include: Hired casual labour and outside contract workers; custom work and contract work; subcontract and outside labour; hired labour.

  1. Research and development fees

Expenses from activities conducted with the intention of making a discovery that could either lead to the development of new products or procedures, or to the improvement of existing products or procedures.

  1. Professional and business fees 

Include: Legal services; accounting and auditing fees; consulting fees; education and training fees; appraisal fees; management and administration fees; property management fees; information technology (IT) consulting and service fees (purchased); architectural fees; engineering fees; scientific and technical service fees; other consulting fees (management, technical and scientific); veterinary fees; fees for human health services; payroll preparation fees; all other professional and business service fees.
Exclude:  Service fees paid to head office (report at question 21 - All other costs and expenses).

  1. Utilities 

Utility expenses related to operating your business unit such as water, electricity, gas, heating and hydro.

Include: Diesel, fuel wood, natural gas, oil and propane; sewage.
Exclude: Energy expenses covered in your rental and leasing contracts; telephone, internet and other telecommunication (report at question 8 – Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication); vehicle fuel (report at question 21 - All other costs and expenses).

  1. Office and computer-related expenses

Include: Office stationery and supplies, paper and other supplies for photocopiers, printers and fax machines; postage and courier (used in the day-to-day office business activity); diskettes and computer upgrade expenses; data processing.
Exclude: Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication expenses (report at question 8 - Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication).

  1. Telephone, Internet and other telecommunication

Include: Internet; telephone and telecommunications; cellular telephone; fax machine; pager.

  1. Business taxes, licenses and permits

Include: Property taxes paid directly and property transfer taxes; vehicle license fees; beverage taxes and business taxes; trade license fees; membership fees and professional license fees; provincial capital tax.

  1. Royalties, franchise fees and memberships

Include: Amounts paid to holders of patents, copyrights, performing rights and trademarks; gross overriding royalty expenses and direct royalty costs; resident and non-resident royalty expenses; franchise fees.
Exclude: Crown royalties.

  1. Crown charges

Federal or provincial royalty, tax, lease or rental payments made in relation to the acquisition, development or ownership of Canadian resource properties.  

Include: Crown royalties; Crown leases and rentals; oil sand leases; stumpage fees.

  1. Rental and leasing

Include: Lease rental expenses, real estate rental expenses, condominium fees and equipment rental expenses; motor vehicle rental and leasing expenses; studio lighting and scaffolding; machinery and equipment rental expenses; storage expenses; road and construction equipment rental; fuel and other utility costs covered in your rental and leasing contracts.

  1. Repair and maintenance

Include: Buildings and structures; machinery and equipment; security equipment; vehicles; costs related to materials, parts and external labour associated with these expenses; janitorial and cleaning services and garbage removal.

  1. Amortization and depreciation

Include: Direct cost depreciation of tangible assets and amortization of leasehold improvements; amortization of intangible assets (e.g., amortization of goodwill, patents, franchises, copyrights, trademarks, deferred charges, organizational costs).

  1. Insurance

Insurance recovery income must be deducted from insurance expenses.

Include: Professional and other liability insurance; motor vehicle and property insurance; executive life insurance; bonding, business interruption insurance and fire insurance.

  1. Advertising, marketing, promotion, meals and entertainment

Include: Newspaper advertising and media expenses; catalogues, presentations and displays; tickets for theatre, concerts and sporting events for business promotion; fundraising expenses; meals, entertainment and hospitality purchases for clients.

  1. Travel, meetings and conventions

Include: Travel expenses; meeting and convention expenses, seminars; passenger transportation (e.g., airfare, bus, train, etc.); accommodations; travel allowance and meals while travelling; other travel expenses.

  1. Financial services 

Include: Explicit service charges for financial services; credit and debit card commissions and charges; collection expenses and transfer fees; registrar and transfer agent fees; security and exchange commission fees; other financial service fees.
Exclude: Interest expenses (report at question 19 - Interest expense).

  1. Interest expense

Report the cost of servicing your company’s debt.

Include: Interest; bank charges; finance charges; interest payments on capital leases; amortization of bond discounts; interest on short-term and long-term debt, mortgages, bonds and debentures.

  1. Other non-production-related costs and expenses

Include: Charitable donations and political contributions; bad debt expense; loan losses; provisions for loan losses (minus bad debt recoveries); inventory adjustments.

  1. All other costs and expenses – please specify:

Include: Intracompany expenses; management fees, transportation, shipping, warehousing/storage, postage and courier, processing services and veterinary fees; production costs; gross overriding royalties; other producing property rentals; other lease rentals; other direct costs; equipment hire and operation; freight-in and duty; overhead expenses allocated to costs of sales; other expenses; cash over/short (negative expenses); reimbursement of parent company expenses; warranty expenses; recruiting expenses; general and administrative expenses; interdivisional expenses; interfund transfers (minus expense recoveries); exploration and development; amounts not included in questions 1 to 20 above.

  1. Total expenses

The sum of questions 1 to 21.

Industry characteristics

This section is designed to collect detailed revenue and expenses for the aquaculture industry.

Sales

Sales should be reported net of excise and provincial or territorial sales taxes, HST/GST, trade discounts, returns and allowances and charges for outward transportation by common or contract carriers. Sales denominated in foreign currency should be converted into Canadian dollars at the exchange rate on the day of transaction. Dollar amounts and percentages should be rounded to whole numbers. When precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.

Include: all sales within or outside Canada recorded in your accounts for sales to other businesses and for transfers to other units of your business .

Exclude: GST/HST, PST and QST.

1.  to 6. Production of finfish (hatchery or grow-out)

This category is comprised of establishments primarily engaged in farm-raising finfish. These establishments use some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as keeping animals in captivity, regular stocking and feeding of animals, and protecting them from predators.

Finfish production is reported as gutted head-on and the value is based on a farm-gate value.

Exclude: establishments primarily engaged in catching or taking fish and other aquatic animals from their natural habitat.

7. to 10. Production of shellfish (seed or grow-out)

This category is comprised of establishments primarily engaged in farm-raising shellfish. These establishments use some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as keeping animals in captivity, regular stocking and feeding of animals, and protecting them from predators. Any shellfish not specified on these lines should be reported at question 14 - Sales of all other goods and services produced.

Shellfish is reported as whole and the value is based on a farm-gate value.

Exclude: establishments primarily engaged in catching or taking fish and other aquatic animals from their natural habitat.

  1. Sales of goods purchased for resale

Report sales of goods that have not been processed or altered in your business unit and that have beenpurchased and resold in the same condition.

  1. Sales of all other goods and services produced – please specify:

Include: roe, crustaceans, seed or larvae for grow-out, other shellfish not specified and aquaculture by-products.

Expenses

Materials, components and supply expenses

Exclude: capital expenditures.

  1. Management fees or any other service fees paid to head office and other business support units

Management fees or any other service fees paid to head office (e.g., legal fees, advertising fees, insurance) and other business support units (e.g., warehouses, sales centres, trucking facilities).

23. to 25. Purchased service expenses

Purchased service expenses are services purchased from external businesses (e.g., third parties).

Exclude: purchased services that have been reported at question 22 - Management fees or any other service fees paid to head office and other business support units.

  1. Transportation, shipping (contracted out), warehousing, storage, postage and courier

Report transportation and storage costs/expenses if they can be reported separately from purchases.

Include: Freight transport services by air, sea, or land (including rental with operator); postage and courier expenses (including local messenger and delivery); storage or warehousing services; moving services.

Exclude: Shipping using own vehicles.

  1. Processing services

Processing services are the costs incurred when another company provides services related to gutting, cleaning, slitting, or shelling.

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