Consumers’ Willingness to Adapt to Shifting Fish Availability Due to Climate Change

Abstract

Rising ocean temperatures driven by climate change are impacting the distribution of fish stocks. In the Northeastern United States, fish scientists predict that well-known local species will shift further north and will be replaced by lesser-known southern species in the local waters. It is unclear whether New England seafood consumers will accept these unfamiliar species when they enter the market, posing a threat to the resiliency of fishing communities. This paper investigates how New England seafood consumers might respond to a shifting supply of seafood by conducting an online stated preference survey. The choice experiment leveraged in the survey revealed that, compared to Atlantic Cod, consumers are willing to pay less for the unfamiliar fish species. However, significant heterogeneity was detected in the consumers’ preferences for purchasing these species. We find the varying degree of willingness to pay being affected by factors such as the type of venues they purchase seafood from and whether they fish recreationally. Our results suggest there will be a challenge in marketing these species, although with proper marketing strategies and coordination among the industry, these challenges may be reduced.