Preferences for health and environmental attributes of farmed salmon amongst southern Ontario salmon consumers

TY - JOUR

T1 - Preferences for health and environmental attributes of farmed salmon amongst southern Ontario salmon consumers

AU - Rudd, Murray A.

AU - Pelletier, Nathan

AU - Tyedmers, Peter

PY - 2011/2/26

Y1 - 2011/2/26

N2 - The goal of this research was to shed light on the trade-offs that salmon consumers make between five types of production and health attributes of farmed salmon. In Canada, the major southern Ontario market cleaved into five distinct consumer segments that varied according to age and income, ‘tastes’, and threat perceptions. There was strong consumer aversion to increased levels of PCBs, even when increased contamination levels were well within Health Canada guidelines. Both contaminant avoidance and polyunsaturated fatty acid health benefits were generally more important to consumers than improved environmental performance in salmon farming production practices. The strong consumer preferences for reduced levels of PCBs in salmon flesh suggest that there could be a substantial market premium for farmed salmon produced using reduced levels of fish meal and fish oils in salmon feed. This could, by association, increase the environmental sustainability of salmon farming.

AB - The goal of this research was to shed light on the trade-offs that salmon consumers make between five types of production and health attributes of farmed salmon. In Canada, the major southern Ontario market cleaved into five distinct consumer segments that varied according to age and income, ‘tastes’, and threat perceptions. There was strong consumer aversion to increased levels of PCBs, even when increased contamination levels were well within Health Canada guidelines. Both contaminant avoidance and polyunsaturated fatty acid health benefits were generally more important to consumers than improved environmental performance in salmon farming production practices. The strong consumer preferences for reduced levels of PCBs in salmon flesh suggest that there could be a substantial market premium for farmed salmon produced using reduced levels of fish meal and fish oils in salmon feed. This could, by association, increase the environmental sustainability of salmon farming.

KW - Attributes

KW - Choice experiment

KW - Human health

KW - Omega-3 fatty acids

KW - Persistent organic pollutants

KW - Salmon farming

KW - Sustainability

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952480052&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/13657305.2011.549405

DO - 10.1080/13657305.2011.549405

M3 - Article

VL - 15

SP - 18

EP - 45

JO - Aquaculture Economics and Management

JF - Aquaculture Economics and Management

IS - 1

ER -