The aquaculture sector is highly exposed to risks such as microbial pollution and oil-spills. This article analyzes risk perception in shellfish farming and the farmers' willingness to rely on hedging mechanisms using logit and ordered multinomial logit models. The results show that the degree of risk perception and reliance on risk management tools can be partly defined through a number of socioeconomic factors specific to the sector. Beyond the conventional self-protective mechanisms, the study focuses on farmers' willingness to rely on risk-transfer mechanisms that the market has so far failed to provide.

JEL Classification Codes: C25, D81, Q12, Q22