Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Aquaculture Fish Products vs. Wild-Caught Seafood – A Case Study in Hawaii

Abstract

& This study aims to investigate Hawaii consumers' willingness to pay for fish product attributes including farmed vs. wild-caught. Hawaii presents an interesting case study as per capita seafood consumption is around three times the national average and 75% of seafood products are imported either from the U.S. mainland or foreign sources. For this study, questionnaires were administered both in-person and online. Conjoint analysis of four different fish species (tuna, salmon, tilapia and moi pacific threadfin), measured consumer willingness to pay for species-specific attributes including both hypothetical and actual attributes available on the market. The results indicate Hawaii consumers are willing to pay more for wild-caught fish than farm raised and more for fresh than previously frozen fish with the degree of preference varying across species. This research can be used to better target markets and facilitate policy decisions pertaining to the fisheries, aquaculture and seafood industries.

Improving sustainability of aquaculture in Europe: Stakeholder dialogues on Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)

“…A key finding, discussed in several studies, was that consumers often lack knowledge regarding aquaculture species and farming practices (Ii et al, 1995;Honkanen and Olsen, 2008;Robertson et al, 2002;Vanhonacker et al, 2011;Verbeke et al, 2007), including Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) (Barrington et al, 2010;Shuve et al, 2009). One study investigating consumers' willingness to pay for aquaculture species found that respondents would pay more for wild-caught fish (Davidson et al, 2012), but another found that consumers would pay a price premium for farmed fish should there be improvements to environmental impact (Whitmarsh and Wattage, 2006). The factors influencing consumers' negative attitudes can be split into three main areas of concern: safety, environment and regulations.…”

Are Consumers Willing to Pay More for Sustainable Products? A Study of Eco-Labeled Tuna Steak

“…Referring to freshness or storage mode, this survey attempts to compare consumers' preference between fresh, which is never frozen, and previously frozen tuna [33][34][35]. Secondly, two types of product processes are considered: farm raised and wild-caught [34,35]. Therefore, this study will examine consumer preference for the attributes of farm-raised tuna and contribute to an understanding of the future development of tuna farms.…”

“…Product demand is affected by attributes that may include flavor/taste, freshness, size, or fish form. Referring to freshness or storage mode, this survey attempts to compare consumers' preference between fresh, which is never frozen, and previously frozen tuna [33][34][35]. Secondly, two types of product processes are considered: farm raised and wild-caught [34,35].…”

Wild-Caught Versus Farmed Fish – Consumer Perception

“…Previous research has shown that sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, education level, income, place of residence) have a high influence on consumer preferences for wild-caught versus farmed fish. Davidson et al (2012) reported that Hawaiian consumers prefer wild to farmed fish. Claret et al (2014) concluded that consumers with a higher objective knowledge about fish and a higher level of education were more ready to agree with scientific evidence and consequently more likely to make better and reasoned fish choices.…”