Ensuring global protein supply by sustainable fish farming: Broad representative empirical analysis to reveal consumers attitudes regarding sustainability, environmentalism, health awareness
(A2019-8744)

AUTHORS

Nicole Schwarz, htw saar ; Frank Hälsig, htw saar; Stefan Selle, htw saar; Katharina Hary, htw saar ; Stefanie Cramer von Clausbruch, htw saar ; Carolin Ackermann, htw saar

KEYWORDS

Social Responsibility; Aquaculture and sustainability ; Environmentalism and health awareness

ABSTRACT

Aquaculture is necessary to supply the increasing demand of marketable fish which can no longer be covered by the depleting fish stocks. At the same time the lack of knowledge about aquaculture and its production processes leads to a rejection of the products. In this paper we examined consumer attitudes and perceptions concerning wild and farmed fish -including production processes- by simultaneous considering many important factors such as sustainability, safety, quality, control, environmental awareness, organic food perception, subjective knowledge, involvement in health and food to get a comprehensive, holistic picture about fish consumers and their attitudes. Data were collected by a consumer survey (September 2018) with 1343 participants. By applying cluster analysis to our sample, we can define four meaningful clusters of different consumer settings. By knowing these settings, we are able to address the different clusters specifically to teach them sustainable fish farming and its necessity. According to our social responsibility we would like to create acceptance of farmed fish products and its processing, which is of immense importance because farmed fish products are essential to avoid the overfishing and to ensure the ecological balance of the oceans and the global protein supply.