Public attitudes toward aquaculture: An Irish and Norwegian comparative study

Around the world, there is a growing emphasis on developing the aquaculture industry in an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable manner and this is the case also in Norway and Ireland. The impact of aquaculture on the environment is currently evaluated by the use of a set of indicators focusing mainly on physical and chemical parameters, while to date social acceptance has not been integrated fully into aquaculture sustainability evaluation. With this in mind, this paper examines the public attitudes of the Irish and Norwegian general public to marine aquaculture. Both countries have long coastlines, a growing aquaculture industry and a strong emphasis on public participation in decision-making. The results indicate that both the Norwegian and Irish public recognise the potential of aquaculture to create opportunities for employment in coastal areas but opinion is much more divided on some of the more controversial impacts of aquaculture on the marine environment. The results also suggest that the Norwegian general public may be better informed on issues related to aquaculture development.