A segmentation of residents' attitudes towards mariculture development in Sweden

Abstract

The farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic plants, is regarded as a promising strategy for local development (Cai et al., 2010; Cai et al., 2006; Costa-Pierce, 2016). Fresh water aquaculture is the dominant form of fish farming in Asia and is the largest component of China's aquaculture production (FAO, 2014). Mariculture, or marine aquaculture, has expanded by 9.3% in production since 1990 (Campbell and Pauly, 2013; FAO, 2010). Earnings from the mariculture sector (FAO, 2014) reached 65.4 billion USD in 2013, and this represents 43.5% of the total aquaculture income. Research shows that mariculture contributes to economic development while having moderate environmental impacts (Bosire et al., 2015; Katranidis et al., 2003). Fish are more efficient converters of energy and protein compared with land-based livestock farming (Gjedrem et al., 2012). Therefore, mariculture is regarded as promising in regard to working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially goal 2 (i.e. zero hunger) and goal 12 (i.e. responsible consumption and production).