Europeans love their fish - survey
The Eurobarometer survey on EU consumer choices regarding fishery and aquaculture products is clear: Europeans love fish and other seafood. More than 40% are eating seafood at least once a week at home and they would do it more often if price and availability wouldn't stand in their way.
Regional, national and EU products enjoy a very strong consumer preference. The study also explains how EU policy helps to build trust with consumers, mainly by reliable and useful consumer information.
European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella reacts to the study: “European consumers tell us they want to have fish on their menu. It is our responsibility, as policymakers, to secure that our citizens can enjoy these tasty products in the long term. This means ensuring the sustainability of our fisheries, and we have progressed a lot on that over the last years. But also aquaculture plays an important role: farmed fish from the EU is a sustainable source of protein and other nutrients. In a low-carbon society, its role will only increase.”
The EU is the world’s largest market for fishery and aquaculture products. Europeans spend twice the amount of money on fish per capita as US consumers. 74% of them think it is healthy, while 59% declare it tasty. The supermarket or grocery store is where most of them buy seafood, although many (40%) also prefer the local fishmonger. The products bought are fresh or frozen; nearly 60% of shoppers avoid breaded fish products or ready meals. That said, Europeans do need some help in the kitchen: only 27% of us are brave enough to buy the whole fish, not cleaned or filleted.
Preference for products from the European Union has increased in almost every country compared to the previous study (2016), with the highest increases in Hungary (+7 pp.) and Slovakia (+8 pp.). A strong consumer signal, mostly for the aquaculture community.
Talking about aquaculture, the study also explored, whether consumers make a distinction between wild fish, caught at sea or in rivers, and aquaculture (farmed fish). While more than a third of European fish consumers prefer wild products (35%), nearly one-third (32%) makes no distinction. Only 9% indicates a strong preference for aquaculture products.
Most consumers (61%) like to try new products and species. However, the limited offer (53%) and, especially, too high prices (70%) remain a barrier for consumers who would like to eat more seafood.
The study confirms the high level of trust (83%) that consumers have in the information they receive as a result of EU regulations. No less than 75% of consumers find the product information clear and easy to understand.
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