Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

Fin-fish aquaculture presents a problem for planners and policy-makers. While there are negative environmental impacts and questions regarding aquaculture's sustainability, there are also benefits such as increased local food production. Solutions balancing these detriments and benefits are often obscured by ingrained perceptions of aquaculture leading to exclusionary or suppressive outcomes and a lack of exploration into aquaculture's value within various contexts. To examine these perceptions, I developed a multi-scalar series of studies at the national, regional, and individual levels.

The collected results of the three studies suggest aquaculture awareness and perceptions are context-dependant. Nuances in national data also suggest there are socio-economic factors at play in public perceptions. Comments made by regional interviewees show a lack of awareness of these nuances leading to "knee-jerk" reactions to aquaculture development. Lastly, these studies have shown increased awareness has an impact on perceptions of aquaculture. Rather than moving them uniformly toward positive, findings suggest this movement is a more subtle movement toward explicit understandings of the trade-offs aquaculture presents. This is key knowledge for policy- and decision-makers engaging with the public to create balanced and sustainable regulatory frameworks and policies.

Start Date

6-5-2017 3:15 PM

End Date

6-5-2017 3:30 PM

Genre/Form

presentations (communicative events)

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Aquaculture industry; Aquaculture--Research

Type

Event

Format

application/pdf

Language

English

COinS
 
May 6th, 3:15 PM May 6th, 3:30 PM

Perceptions of Fin-fish Aquaculture: a Multi-scalar Policy Perspective

Miller Hall

Fin-fish aquaculture presents a problem for planners and policy-makers. While there are negative environmental impacts and questions regarding aquaculture's sustainability, there are also benefits such as increased local food production. Solutions balancing these detriments and benefits are often obscured by ingrained perceptions of aquaculture leading to exclusionary or suppressive outcomes and a lack of exploration into aquaculture's value within various contexts. To examine these perceptions, I developed a multi-scalar series of studies at the national, regional, and individual levels.

The collected results of the three studies suggest aquaculture awareness and perceptions are context-dependant. Nuances in national data also suggest there are socio-economic factors at play in public perceptions. Comments made by regional interviewees show a lack of awareness of these nuances leading to "knee-jerk" reactions to aquaculture development. Lastly, these studies have shown increased awareness has an impact on perceptions of aquaculture. Rather than moving them uniformly toward positive, findings suggest this movement is a more subtle movement toward explicit understandings of the trade-offs aquaculture presents. This is key knowledge for policy- and decision-makers engaging with the public to create balanced and sustainable regulatory frameworks and policies.