Predictors of Environmental Policy Support: The Case of Inland Aquaculture in Wisconsin

Aquaculture plays a significant role in meeting the world’s demand for seafood. There is much controversy about aquaculture, and fish farming in particular. Previous research has explored public perceptions about risks and benefits of aquaculture, but some areas remain understudied. We sought to explore public opinion about inland aquaculture among individuals in the U.S. Furthermore, we sought to better understand predictors of environmental policy support. We examined risk/benefit perceptions, emotions, media, and objective knowledge. We considered two dimensions of policy – those related to regulation, and those related to growth. We gathered data though a survey of 3,000 randomly sampled households in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. We found that individuals generally viewed aquaculture favorably. Furthermore, we found that emotions were strong predictors of support for policies that promote the growth of Wisconsin aquaculture. Alternatively, risk/benefit perceptions were strong predictors of policy related to regulation. Thus, different predictors explained different dimensions of policy support.