Which Coastal Vacay Enjoyer Wants Local Oysters, Him or Her?

Abstract

Investment in mariculture is increasing as an alternative to wild-caught seafood in order to support sustainability of fisheries resource. A persistent negative perception continues to create barriers to consumer demand for maricultured products. Previous research indicates that consumer decision-making between wild-caught and maricultured seafood is affected by many factors. Of particular interest to this study is prior findings indicating differences between men and women with regard to general attitudes about maricultured seafood and environmental sustainability. Since shellfish mariculture occurs in coastal communities that are also popular tourist destinations, there is an opportunity to promote it through positive tourist interactions. On the South Carolina (USA) coast interest in eating wild-caught shellfish has gradually increased among tourists, but the recent introduction of shellfish produced by mariculture makes consumer decision-making more complex. This study examined differences between men and women for attitude, importance, and intention to eat wild-caught or maricultured oysters while visiting a popular coastal tourist destination in South Carolina, where both types of oysters were local. Data were collected from 380 individuals during October 2014. Results showed that even though women have a more negative attitude towards maricultured oysters compared to men, their intention to eat maricultured oysters was not different than men. This study provides insight into how strongly gender differences may influence tourists' perception towards maricultured and wild-caught oysters, in the context of purchasing seafood where seafood is harvested.