Environmental education effect on fish farmers’ attitude and behavior to decrease rainbow trout farm’s wastewater pollution

Aquaculture and environment have considerable interaction impacts on each other. In this study, the effect of education on environmental attitudes and behavior of trout farmers were investigated. The experiment was applicable using a researcher-made questionnaires and environmental training package. The validity of questionnaire was confirmed by the university professors and researchers of Fisheries Organization. Reliability of the Questionnaire with 15 tests showed Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.84. The statistical population was included 150 farmers with monoculture farms that their farms’ effluent had been discharged to surface water. The sample consisted of 63 persons in two control and experimental groups. The results showed inappropriate attitude of respondents before offering environmental training package (About 34% correct answers), while their acquaintance was significantly changed after presentation of the training package (p<0.05). Besides, 79% of respondents are not used any wastewater refining methods. However, training package could change behaviors in the experimental group and they announced readiness to wastewater treatment with low-cost procedures. No significant correlation was observed between age, education and aquaculture acquaintance with environmental behavior and attitudes. The results of present study showed that education had an important role in the environmental behavior of coldwater fish farmers, especially to prevent the pollution caused by farms’ waste water.