Eco-certification programs reward producers that meet a set of sustainability criteria with eco-certified status. This status can lead to improved access to markets and price premiums. Producers also cite improved reputation and social acceptance as a motivation to seek eco-certification; however, the impact of eco-certification on producer and industry reputation is unclear.
In Canada, marine salmon farming takes place in rural coastal communities on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Although aquaculture eco-certification criteria emphasize reducing local environmental impacts, eco-certification addresses social legitimacy (or social licence) at a global scale by providing consumers who may be distant from the site of production with assurance that a product was farmed sustainably. Therefore, eco-certification might be expected to interact with social acceptance or marine salmon aquaculture differently in urban and rural communities.
A public survey circulated through Facebook community groups was used to explore how eco-certification status affects public perceptions and attitudes towards marine salmon aquaculture in Nova Scotia (Atlantic) and British Columbia (Pacific). Participants were asked a series of questions about their (1) attitude towards salmon farming and the importance of potential outcomes and impacts to them, (2) knowledge of and perceptions of aquaculture eco-certification, and (3) place of residence including population and proximity to the coast. Responses were used to explore the relationship between eco-certification and public attitudes towards salmon aquaculture in rural and urban communities.