Consumer Preferences for Seafood Information Attributes

Changes in consumer preferences have created an opportunity for developing differentiated and higher valued seafood products. Providing consumers with more information about seafood products at the time of purchase has been suggested as a way of differentiating seafood and promoting healthy fisheries. A discrete choice experiment conducted at high-end grocery stores in Portland, Oregon investigated consumer preferences for information about the quality, safety, origin and environmentally friendliness of seafood they consume. Results show that "Sustainability Certification" was the most important information attribute influencing purchasing decisions, closely followed by "Locally Harvested by Oregonians". Also, significant relationships are identified between the information attributes and respondent characteristics. Overall, the study indicates an opportunity for local fishermen and the seafood industry to further develop "local" brands while continuing the effort to market "eco-friendly" seafood choices.Keywords: Consumer preferences, Eco-friendly seafood, Seafood industry, Seafood products, Portland, Oregon, Sustainability, Local brands, Healthy fisheries, Seafood information attributes, Fisheries EconomicsKeywords: Consumer preferences, Eco-friendly seafood, Seafood industry, Seafood products, Portland, Oregon, Sustainability, Local brands, Healthy fisheries, Seafood information attributes, Fisheries Economic

Effectiveness and safety of oral HIV preexposure prophylaxis for all populations.

ObjectivePreexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers a promising new approach to HIV prevention. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the evidence for use of oral PrEP containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate as an additional HIV prevention strategy in populations at substantial risk for HIV based on HIV acquisition, adverse events, drug resistance, sexual behavior, and reproductive health outcomes.DesignRigorous systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA comprehensive search strategy reviewed three electronic databases and conference abstracts through April 2015. Pooled effect estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis.ResultsEighteen studies were included, comprising data from 39 articles and six conference abstracts. Across populations and PrEP regimens, PrEP significantly reduced the risk of HIV acquisition compared with placebo. Trials with PrEP use more than 70% demonstrated the highest PrEP effectiveness (risk ratio = 0.30, 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.45, P < 0.001) compared with placebo. Trials with low PrEP use did not show a significantly protective effect. Adverse events were similar between PrEP and placebo groups. More cases of drug-resistant HIV infection were found among PrEP users who initiated PrEP while acutely HIV-infected, but incidence of acquiring drug-resistant HIV during PrEP use was low. Studies consistently found no association between PrEP use and changes in sexual risk behavior. PrEP was not associated with increased pregnancy-related adverse events or hormonal contraception effectiveness.ConclusionPrEP is protective against HIV infection across populations, presents few significant safety risks, and there is no evidence of behavioral risk compensation. The effective and cost-effective use of PrEP will require development of best practices for fostering uptake and adherence among people at substantial HIV risk

Addressing marine and coastal governance conflicts at the interface of multiple sectors and jurisdictions

Marine and coastal activities are closely interrelated, and conflicts among different sectors can undermine management and conservation objectives. Governance systems for fisheries, power generation, irrigation, aquaculture, marine biodiversity conservation, and other coastal and maritime activities are typically organized to manage conflicts within sectors, rather than across them. Based on the discussions around eight case studies presented at a workshop held in Brest in June 2019, this paper explores institutional approaches to move beyond managing conflicts within a sector. We primarily focus on cases where the groups and sectors involved are heterogeneous in terms of: the jurisdiction they fall under; their objectives; and the way they value ecosystem services. The paper first presents a synthesis of frameworks for understanding and managing cross-sectoral governance conflicts, drawing from social and natural sciences. We highlight commonalities but also conceptual differences across disciplines to address these issues. We then propose a novel analytical framework which we used to evaluate the eight case studies. Based on the main lessons learned from case studies, we then discuss the feasibility and key determinants of stakeholder collaboration as well as compensation and incentive schemes. The discussion concludes with future research needs to support policy development and inform integrated institutional regimes that consider the diversity of stakeholder interests and the potential benefits of cross-sectoral coordination

Consumer preferences for seafood information attributes

Changes in consumer preferences have created a need for developing differentiated and higher valued seafood products. Providing consumers with more information about seafood products at the time of purchase has been suggested as a way of differentiating seafood and promoting healthy fisheries. A discrete choice experiment conducted at high-end grocery stores in Portland, Oregon investigated consumer preferences for information about the quality, safety, origin and environmentally friendliness of seafood they consume. Results show that ‘Sustainability Certification’ was the most important information attribute influencing purchasing decisions, closely followed by ‘Locally Harvested by Oregonians’. Also, significant relationships are identified between the information attributes and respondent characteristics. Overall, the study indicates an opportunity for local fishermen to further develop ‘local’ brands while continuing the effort to market ‘eco-friendly’ seafood choices.Keywords: Choice experiment, Seafood, Consumer preference

Willingness to Pay for Multiple Seafood Labels in a Niche Market

Regulatory requirements and shifts in consumer preferences have resulted in seafood products bearing multiple information labels. Developing successful seafood marketing strategies requires an understanding of how multilabeled products influence consumer choices. This paper analyzes preferences for four classes of seafood information labels including safety, quality, local, and ecolabels using data from a choice experiment for two species of seafood. The data was collected at a grocery chain focused on niche markets in Portland, Oregon. Each label is found to have a significant influence on consumer choice, with local labels and ecolabels yielding the largest estimates of consumer mean willingness to pay. Ecolabels yield a wider range of individual willingness to pay estimates compared to the other labels, and preferences for the local label are not affected by the appearance of additional information labels on the same product. Results of the study suggest opportunities for advancing niche market strategies, including the development of local seafood labeling programs.This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The article is copyrighted by MRE Foundation, Inc., and published by the University of Chicago Press. It can be found at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/journals/journal/mre.htmlKeywords: Choice experiment, Ecolabel, Seafood, Local labeling, Salmon, Cra

Economic analysis for marine protected resources management: Challenges, tools, and opportunities

Economic analysis is well suited to inform protected resources management in marine and coastal environments. The purpose of this review is to provide a connection between the challenges facing managers of marine protected resources and specific forms of economic analysis that can help address them. We identify and illustrate several common protected resources management challenges including scarcity in conservation resources, scientific uncertainty, and designing policies to promote species conservation and recovery. We then survey relevant economic tools and identify opportunities for informing marine protected resources management. We conclude by discussing important considerations for applying economic analysis to inform marine protected resources management

Accounting for spatio-temporal variation and fisher targeting when estimating abundance from multispecies fishery data

Estimating trends in abundance from fishery catch rates is one of the oldest endeavors in fisheries science. However, many jurisdictions do not analyze fishery catch rates due to concerns that these data confound changes in fishing behavior (adjustments in fishing location or gear operation) with trends in abundance. In response, we develop a spatial dynamic factor analysis (SDFA) model that decomposes covariation in multispecies catch rates into components representing spatial variation and fishing behavior. SDFA estimates spatiotemporal variation in fish density for multiple species, and accounts for fisher behavior at large spatial scales (i.e., choice of fishing location) while controlling for fisher behavior at fine spatial scales (e.g., daily timing of fishing activity). We first use a multispecies simulation experiment to show that SDFA decreases bias in abundance indices relative to ignoring spatial adjustments and fishing tactics. We then present results for a case study involving Petrale sole in the California current, for which SDFA estimates initially stable and then increasing abundance for the period 1986-2003, in accordance with fishery-independent survey and stock assessment estimates.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Prioritizing Habitat Restoration for Endangered Salmon: Getting the Most Bang for your Buck

In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually to restore upland stream habitat for salmon populations listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Despite this sizable financial commitment to salmon population recovery, in practice, the restoration projects selected for implementation are often misaligned with the biological needs of endangered salmon populations. While this disconnect is partially attributable to socio-political factors, it is important that policy makers have actionable information on the relative effectiveness of candidate restoration projects. This study utilizes spatially explicit biological models and historical cost data to assess the cost effectiveness of alternative Spring Chinook habitat restoration projects in the Wenatchee River basin in Washington, USA. The biological response achieved with a fixed restoration budget varies significantly across restoration locations and activities, underscoring the importance of comparing restoration alternatives that are spatially explicit and associated with specific restoration actions. Prioritizing restoration alternatives in this framework represents a first step towards aligning restoration activities with the goals of the ESA.Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, held July 11-15, 2016 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center (AECC), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK