Consumers’ willingness to pay for safer fish: preliminary results from a survey about mercury contaminated fish in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region

Abstract

This study investigates the impact on consumers’ fish choice of a labelling system providing information about mercury-free fish. Taking a sample of costumers from Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Italy), we applied a choice experiment to estimate consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for mercury-free labelling and to test whether this WTP differs from WTP for local origin fish. The chosen fish was Seabass given that it is well known and frequently consumed in Italy as it is a local product of the Northern Adriatic from both fishing and farming. Our results highlight how respondents are more likely to consume and willing to pay for local (farmed or fished) fish than to pay a premium price for fish with a “mercury-free” label.