Though Cooke Aquaculture has long been in the region, the past several years Canada's Atlantic coast has seen several major salmon farming companies set up shop -- including Grieg, Mowi, and now potentially Cermaq.

The fact that these industry giants also have operations on the country's west coast of Canada -- largely in British Columbia -- is what makes their eastern migration a strategic move, Mark Lane, executive director of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA), told IntraFish.

"We complement one another," he said, noting both regions serve different metropolitan areas in the United States where there is a growing appetite for salmon.