Cultivating Benefit and Risk: Aquaculture Representation and Interpretation in New England

Fish Tales: How Narrative Modality, Emotion, and Transportation Influence Support for Sustainable Aquaculture

“…Whether such reactions stem from personal experience with nearby aquaculture operations, or from a more general “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) reaction to the aquaculture industry are critical questions that may be better explored through qualitative and/or mixed method approaches (e.g., D’Anna & Murray, 2015). Possibly, as previous research has suggested, those more directly familiar with aquaculture may be more likely to acknowledge both benefits and drawbacks to this complex environmental issue (e.g., Rickard et al, 2018).…”

“…In addition to exploring potential effects of narrative medium, the present study also integrates recent applied social science research highlighting risk-benefit perceptions as particularly important to explaining public support for aquaculture products and policies, at least in a Western cultural context. Though the topic may be unfamiliar to many audiences, North American (D’Anna & Murray, 2015; Hall & Amberg, 2013; Rickard, et al, 2018; Rickard et al, 2020; Witzling et al, 2020) and European (Feucht & Zander, 2015; Schlag & Ystgaard, 2013) audiences appear to harbor at least some concern for possible negative impacts of aquaculture, but they also recognize possible environmental and economic benefits at the community and national levels posed by the industry. These risk-benefit perceptions, in turn, account for a considerable amount of variance in general support for aquaculture (Rickard et al, 2020).…”

“…The present study addresses the impact of narrative persuasion by considering a contemporary science communication issue in which both human health and environmental risks are salient—namely, sustainable aquaculture production in the United States. While unfamiliar to many Americans (Rickard et al, 2018; Rickard et al, 2020; Witzling et al, 2020), aquaculture is on the rise and is increasingly touted as a way to reduce our reliance on imported seafood (and its related greenhouse gas emissions), while safeguarding wild fisheries. Like its land-based analogue, sustainable aquaculture practices broadly consider both ecological and social “carrying capacity” (Smaal & Van Duren, 2019); for instance, salmon farmers not only attempt to limit the chemical inputs (e.g., antibiotics) given to their fish but also consider how their farming operation may affect the “lived experience” (e.g., sights and smells) of surrounding coastal communities (e.g., D’Anna & Murray, 2015).…”

Routine Influences on Aquaculture News Selection: A Q Method Study With New England Journalists

“…Through complex and often contentious public discussion and deliberation, federal and state agencies, regional fisheries councils, universities, and local communities have each acknowledged the coupled relationship between the social and ecological impacts of aquaculture (Hanes, 2018; Johnson & Hanes, 2017). The recent proliferation of aquaculture operations has solidified the future of the industry in the New England economy, but debates concerning risks and benefits to the local environment nonetheless recur (Rickard et al, 2018). Such debates are replayed in news media and have become the central concern of a growing body of communication research examining aquaculture media discourse.…”

“…Though domestic aquaculture production is minimal on a global scale (National Marine Fisheries Service [NMFS], 2017), industry growth has spurred considerable controversy in some areas (Hanes, 2018; Johnson & Hanes, 2017). Furthermore, as recent news media content analyses have shown, the coverage of marine aquaculture often presents both risks (e.g., ecological impacts) and benefits (e.g., job creation; Rickard & Feldpausch-Parker, 2016; Rickard, Noblet, Duffy, & Brayden, 2018).…”