Assessing Consumer Preferences for Seafood Products in a North Carolinian Community-Supported Fishery

In recent years, Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs) have gained prominence in the North American seafood industry, with Walking Fish CSF in North Carolina being one of the pioneering efforts. However, due to the relatively recent introduction of CSFs, little is known about consumer preferences for seafood products within this sector. This project aims to investigate and compare the preferences of Walking Fish members and the general public for seafood products within the North Carolinian context. The findings reveal that Walking Fish members exhibit a stronger preference for wild-caught seafood products over farmed products compared to the general public, with the exception of bivalves (oysters and clams) and blue crabs. Moreover, Walking Fish customers attach greater importance to specific attributes such as taste, environmental benefits, and freshness when it comes to wild-caught products in comparison to the general public. The study concludes with a discussion on the implications of consumer preferences for the future development of CSFs, such as Walking Fish.