Lessons from aquaculture
Does the state (e.g., collapse) of a countries’ fisheries influence aquaculture entering the seafood market and further disrupting fisheries? Through retrospective empirical analyses, we will quantify when and where aquaculture production has had hidden interactions with wild-caught fisheries, providing a proxy for cell-based seafood on how local context of seafood may help or hinder a new seafood industry. |
Food transitions
What are potential bottlenecks to the uptake and conservation potential of cell-based seafood? We will synthesize conditions and drivers from past food transitions and identify transferable insights to the cell-based seafood sector. Through this research, we will identify and assess potential limitations to not only the adoption of cell-based seafood, but also its substitution for wild-caught fish. |
Fishers’ price responsiveness
Will fishers fish less if fish prices are driven down by cell-based seafood, and how could this impact the economic well-being of fishing communities? We will empirically assess the impact shifting fish prices have on fishing behavior, since this is a key mechanism through which cell-based seafood could have a conservation impact by taking pressure off of wild caught fisheries. We will also investigate the potential socio-economic implications of the introduction of cell-based seafood products. |
Introduction of cell-based seafood to the market
What conservation outcomes can we expect under various assumptions about the fundamentals of the seafood market? This modeling component will allow us to explore scenarios on the interactions of cell-based seafood, wild capture fisheries, and aquaculture under different conditions. These scenarios will provide valuable insights on when and where cell-based seafood can have the greatest possible conservation impact. |