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Date Permissions Signed

5-5-2017

Date of Award

Spring 2017

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Environmental Studies

First Advisor

Laninga, Tamara Jean

Second Advisor

Bach, Andrew J.

Third Advisor

Darby, Kate J.

Abstract

Fin-fish aquaculture and farming is a disputed and controversial issue in the United States. These controversies and disputes may occur in part because of perceptions of fin-fish aquaculture as threatening to local and regional environments, traditional lifeways, and occupations. These perceptions are complicated by the positive role aquaculture might play in addressing U.S. dependence on seafood imports, as well as issues of socio-economic access to fish and the associated health benefits. Further, how issues of fin-fish aquaculture are perceived, as well as what level of awareness and knowledge perceptions are based on, may impact policy decisions through public support and discourses. Yet, there are few comprehensive studies of perceptions of aquaculture in the U.S. or the implications for food systems and environments through policy decisions. The following thesis is an exploration of fin-fish aquaculture perceptions, awareness, and knowledge at three scales: national, regional, and individual. I have added to current social-aquaculture research by characterizing elements and aspects of perceptions at each scale in three discrete manuscript-style studies. Key findings in this research include correlation between awareness and perception among coastal stakeholders, emphasis on impacts to the natural environment and local food production in perceptions, and the changeability of perceptions in a learning context. Based on the collected findings from all three studies, I give recommendations for approaching fin-fish aquaculture in public policy and planning processes to reduce conflict and increase consensus in context-based goals for fin-fish aquaculture.

Type

Text

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25710/m9d4-cj68

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

988543929

Subject – LCSH

Fish culture--United States--Public opinion; Fish culture--Government policy--United States

Geographic Coverage

United States

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this thesis for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

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