Consumer Willingness to Pay for a Saline Fish Species Grown in the US Midwest: The Case of Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis

Abstract

AbstractThe US Midwest region has saline water resources that include saline aquifers, saline springs, water from oil extraction, effluents from coal beneficiation, water produced from coal‐bed methane production, and other industrial effluents. There is considerable quantity of saline water in the Midwest to support a saltwater aquaculture industry. Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, is a saline fish species that has attracted interest in the Midwest region for aquaculture production. The study used willingness‐to‐pay information from consumers to assess the potential market for striped bass grown in the Midwest. The results suggest that males and consumers of age 29 yr and younger are more likely to pay higher amounts for striped bass. In particular, consumers who prefer farmed and fresh seafood, those who purchase seafood frequently for home consumption, and those who consume seafood 26–50% of the time when eating out have a higher probability of paying higher amounts for striped bass grown in the Midwest.