The importance of local fisheries as a cultural attribute: insight from a discrete choice experiment of seafood consumers

The role of maritime heritage in providing benefits such as sense of place and identity has been well documented, but there is limited quantitative analysis (especially in monetary valuation) of its influence on people’s preferences. In this paper, we present results from a choice experiment where we valued cultural and heritage aspects of fishing through the preferences of seafood consumption. We found a strong preference for some attributes of seafood such as “locality” (origin of the catches), freshness, and sustainability in harvesting, but also a significant role of tangible maritime cultural heritage, such as visible fishing operations. This analysis can be helpful in informing public policies aiming to enhance experiences of fisheries as a living heritage and to valorise local produce to increase income of local communities.