Wild-Caught Fish versus Aquaculture Fish Products: A Fish Marketing Concept for Aquaculture Quality Improvement, A Case Study of Nyanza Region, Kenya

Abstract

This study aims to investigate Nyanza region consumers’ attitude and willingness to pay for fish product attributes including farmed vs. wild-caught varieties. Nyanza region presents an interesting case study as it borders Lake Victoria and the residents are traditionally fish eaters. A total of 610 questionnaires were administered in-person to respondents in the region to gauge consumer’s perception and conjoint analysis for three different fish species (tilapia, catfish and ningu) used to measure consumer willingness to pay for species-specific attributes on the market. The results indicate that fish consumption was significantly related to household size and income. Notably, fish product attributes such as taste had the greatest influence on consumer preferences with a greater proportion of respondents favoring wild caught than cultured fish primarily for taste preference. Consumers are willing to pay more for wild caught than farm-raised tilapia and catfish. The premium for wild-caught fish products suggests consumers put an irreplaceable value on the limited resources of wild fish stocks. The case study of Nyanza region confirms the unique markets for fresh fish with the degree of preference varying across species. This research can be used to better target preferred markets and facilitate policy decisions for improvement of quality and farmed fish products, management and fish industries