The Market for Sustainable Seafood: Consumer Preferences, Supplier Responses

The sustainable seafood movement has developed and expanded dramatically in the past fifteen years as it continues to pursue its goal of creating market-based incentives for environmental improvements in fisheries and aquaculture.  Through use of seafood rankings and certification of fisheries and aquaculture, groups initially attempted to influence consumer demand but have become increasingly successful in changing seafood sourcing decisions by the international supply chain toward more sustainable seafood.  This presentation will review drivers and motivators of consumer and supplier behavior based upon theoretical and empirical literature in economics, as well as discussing actual changes occurring in international fisheries, aquaculture, and global seafood markets.

Dr. Roheim’s research focus has been on the interactions of international markets with effectiveness of fisheries and aquaculture management, including market-based incentive systems such as certification programs.  Particular subjects include evaluating consumer demand and the role of corporate social responsibility in sourcing sustainable seafood, trade and market-based incentives to reduce IUU fishing, and the economics of seafood safety.  Her publications include articles in Science, Marine Resource Economics, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, and other scholarly journals, as well as the report The Great Salmon Run: Competition between Farmed and Wild Salmon, and chapters in books such as Seafood Ecolabelling: Principles and Practice, Labeling Strategies in Environmental Policy, and The International Seafood Trade.    Dr. Roheim has previously served as President of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, and editor of the journal Marine Resource Economics.  She served on the Stakeholder Advisory Council of the Marine Stewardship Council from 2000-2007, and is currently on the Scientific Advisory Board to the WorldFish Center.