Assessing smallholder fish farmers’ awareness, motivation and attitude towards the environmental impact of aquaculture

This study examines how smallholder fish farmers perceive and respond to the environmental impacts of aquaculture, since their awareness, motivations and attitudes shape adoption of sustainable practices. Surveying 125 Nigerian fish farmers as a case example, the results show high environmental consciousness, with 93.7% recognizing the importance of sustainability. Water pollution, excessive chemical use and resource overexploitation are viewed as the main risks of unsustainable farming. Most farmers (78.6%) adopt one or more practices, particularly wastewater treatment and improved feed management. Adoption intensity varied substantially among regular adopters, with nearly half implementing three environmental practices and approximately one quarter adopting four or more practices. Adoption is motivated by sustainability beliefs, cost savings and market demand. Three farmer types emerge: sustainability-oriented, economically motivated and reputation-conscious. Farmers with broader environmental risk awareness adopt significantly more sustainable practices than those with limited perception (p < 0.001). The number of motivational factors does not influence adoption intensity (F(5, 119) = 0.70, p = 0.629). To promote sustainable fish farming, multi-dimensional support programs that integrate economic incentives with environmental values are most effective.