Between Tradition and Taste: Fish Consumption Habits in a Small Portuguese Archipelago

Abstract

ABSTRACTA survey of fish and seafood consumption habits was carried out in Madeira archipelago, in the Eastern Atlantic. A total of 465 valid questionnaires were obtained from all municipalities of Madeira and Porto Santo islands. Cod, an imported product, but a traditional Portuguese staple food, was the most frequently consumed species, surpassing locally caught species such as tunas and scabbardfish. In a GLM analysis, taste emerged as the most important factor conditioning fish consumption frequency, followed by fishing activity. The survey uncovered high participation in subsistence fishing and informal fish acquisition outside the commercial circuit.