Consumer’s positive and negative perceptions towards aquaculture: a hybrid delphi approach

Abstract

Aquaculture is one of the food sectors with a higher potential for growth. The sector incorporates every time a higher level of scientific and technological advances. However, in Spain, consumers' unawareness about the production and its processes seems to play against the sector. Their perceptions towards aquaculture could become a bottleneck for the industry's full development. In this context the main objective of this paper is to explore consumers' perceptions towards aquaculture. Specifically, we determine which are the main drawbacks (prejudices) and advantages that consumers derive from the products provided by the fish farm industry. Defining these aspects will help us to develop communication strategies in order to improve aquaculture's image for the general public