Impacts of sustainability labels on consumers’ purchasing decisions for fish

Abstract

In Germany, fish products rely on sustainable production and convey it by labels. Currently, fish products with and without sustainability labels can be found. The objective of the study was to elicit consumers’ opinions on sustainable fishery in focus groups. Five sustainability labels on captured fish products were presented in focus groups to reveal consumers’ perception, labels’ credibility and labels’ relevance in purchase decisions. In total, 12 focus groups were carried out in four German cities between April and May 2012. Concerning their purchase criteria participants shopping fish products rarely stated sustainability or corresponding labels. In general, participants’ answers indicate low familiarity with sustainable fishing. Participants’ knowledge on sustainability labels was low. Participants assessed the credibility of the labels as low, were unsure about the meaning of the certification and argued about missing controls. The low perception of the labels and the importance of other issues like time constrain and taste result in a low relevance for consumer’s purchase decisions.