URI_Research_Magazine_2010-2011_Melissa-McCarthy

“As economists, we will assess how relative risk information and economic factors influence consumers’ purchasing decisions,” said Roheim. Consumers who are better informed about the health benefits of eating fish relative to other food choices may increase the demand for certain aquaculture products compared to other choices, thereby improving the competitiveness of the U.S. aquaculture industry, Roheim said. In another study, Roheim and David Beutel, a former URI fisheries researcher, who is now employed by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, are taking their questions about whether consumers care about aquaculture certification and labeling straight to where consumers are usually found – in local markets. Using a $78,000 College of the Environment and Life Sciences CARES (Community Access to Research and Extension Services) grant, the researchers developed a survey, which shoppers were asked to complete at the entrance to local markets. The results of the survey will be used to produce a guide that will help support the sustainability of Rhode Island’s aquaculture. One goal of the project is to determine the benefits to aquaculture farmers of going through a certification process, which might be time- consuming and costly. Farmers want to know in advance if there will be a return on their investment in certification, Roheim said. It’s not just the buying habits of individual consumers that interests Roheim. Big fish buyers like supermarket chains and the food service

industry also affect sustainability. Getting back to the big picture of the reasons for her research, Roheim said, “The bottom line to all of this is: Do the changes in buying behavior by those who demand seafood translate into making changes in the environment?” For her expertise on sustainability issues, Roheimwas recently named to the National Geographic Society’s Ocean Restoration Advisory Council and the Scientific Advisory Council of the World Fish Center in Malaysia. She has also served on the Marine Stewardship Council Stakeholder Council for many years, and was president of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade from 2006 to 2008.

Cathy Roheim

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Research & Innovation 2010-2011