Over the last decade, per-capita consumption of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the U.S. increased by 75% while that of all seafood increased by just 1.27% (NOAA, 2019; Shahbandeh, 2021) . As demand for farmed salmon grows, it becomes increasingly important to address the challenges of production. Farmed salmon is produced with open net pen (ONP) aquaculture, which presents challenges such as byproduct release and the spread of pathogens. An emerging alternative to ONP is the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) . RAS involves rearing salmon in tanks where water is constantly recirculated and byproducts are captured, addressing the main environmental challenges caused by ONP farming. However, because of high operating costs, broad adoption of RAS salmon in the U.S. depends heavily on sufficient consumer demand , the data on which is limited.
To fill this gap, we conduct a discrete choice experiment, distributed to 2400 U.S. consumers, to elicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) for RAS-farmed Atlantic salmon. Besides production method, we estimate WTP for 5 other attributes that are crucial to understanding consumer preferences for farmed salmon: Byproduct Management, Stocking Density, Omega-3 Content, Days Since Harvest, and U.S. Production . A sample choice set presented to respondents is pictured.
Our research seeks to inform policymakers and producers about the potential of RAS Atlantic salmon in the U.S. Results will guide future policies and production roadmaps pertaining to this growing commodity that is crucial to the health of both the environment and population of the U.S.