Aquaculture & public perceptions

You may have heard about aquaculture on the coast, but what about inland aquaculture? With an interdisciplinary team, we explored public opinion about inland aquaculture among Wisconsinites through a survey in Wisconsin. We also considered how risks, benefits, and emotions predicted different dimensions of environmental policy.

My collaborators

Dr. Bret Shaw
Dr. Kristin Runge
Dr. Chris Hartleb
Dr. Deidre Peroff
Shiyu Yang

Research highlights

Wisocnsin respondents reported a preference for consuming wild-caught fish over farm-raised fish. That being said, respondents did view Wisconsin aquaculture favorably as a whole. They also noted more trust in Wisconsin fish farmers’ ability to keep fish safe for consumption compared to other sources, such as government agencies or grocery stores.

We also examined predictors of support for regulation of aquaculture and support for the growth aquaculture. Perceptions of risks and benefits of aquaculture strongly predicted support of policy related to regulating aquaculture, while emotions strongly predicted support for policies promoting the growth of aquaculture in Wisconsin.

In our survey of fish farmers in the state, we learned that they are eager for information about regulation and fish health. The fish farms were primarily small businesses that most often use ponds to raise fish. We also found that the majority of the fish farmers surveyed perceived their businesses to be environmentally sustainable.