This study examines the fish producers’ food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). Also, it reveals the consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a safer fish species, rohu , produced under controlled feed management using no antibiotics. Two hundred forty fish producers from 8 upazilas of 4 districts, which accounted for 29% of total inland (pond) fish production, were selected for the KAP study. It is found that the producers have excellent knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards safe fish production. Structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed the relationship among food safety KAP. Despite having sufficient knowledge of safe fish production, the producers do not necessarily put it into practice. However, producers’ attitude towards safe fish production positively and significantly impacts their practices. Therefore, targeted learning and communication strategies are necessary to improve safe practices.
Data on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) was collected from 94 fish consumers in Mymensingh and Narayanganj districts using experimental auction sessions in April 2023. The respondents included 25% female and 75% male consumers from different income groups. Participants bid on two fish sets: control fish purchased from the neighborhood wet market and safer/trial fish cultured in real farm settings. The initial session provided the participants with little information regarding the production methods. The bid for trial rohu was significantly higher, on average, 21%, than for the control fish due to its superior visible characteristics.
During the second session, the participants were furnished with laboratory test outcomes, which significantly led to a 34% increase in the trial fish bid compared to the control fish bid. Moreover, the second bid for trial fish was 6% higher than the first.
The study emphasizes the importance of safety certifications and labels for meeting the needs of health-conscious consumers in Bangladesh. The findings will encourage producers to produce safer fish with quality assurance and logistic support from policy intervention, leading to the availability of safer fish in the long run.