Sustainable Seafood Research Articles

Framing Effects on Attitudes and Intentions Toward Shark Meat Consumption in Lima, Peru

Peru has one of the major shark fisheries in the world. Moreover, shark meat consumption is popular and the main commercially exploited species are considered threatened. Recent studies have found high mislabeling rates and high concentrations of methylmercury in shark meat. The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of different framing messages in persuading fish consumers to avoid shark meat consumption and promote sustainable fish (“popular fish”) consumption. Specifically: To what extent do intrinsic and extrinsic risk messages differ in terms of deterring the intention to eat shark meat and promoting the consumption of popular fish, in the presence or absence of an efficacy message about mislabeling of shark meat? The three message frames were: intrinsic (sharks have mercury), extrinsic (sharks are threatened), and efficacy (sharks are mislabeled). The experiment had a factorial design of 2 × 2 × 2 (present vs. absent for each message). Participants (n = 285), surveyed through an online questionnaire, were assigned to one of eight experimental conditions. Participants then completed a survey regarding their intentions and attitudes toward shark meat and popular fish consumption. Attitudes and intentions toward consuming shark meat were discouraged in all experimental conditions. Moreover, the mislabeling message did not reduce participants' perceived response efficacy (how effective the recommendations for dealing with the problem are), but enhanced it. This study suggests that not all consumers' attitudes about sharks are negative or that a negative attitude does not affect shark consumption in an adverse way. More research targeting different audiences is needed to determine the optimal approach for promoting sustainable seafood that is also healthy for consumers.

Promoting Sustainable Seafood Market in Japan: Perspectives From MSC and ASC Applicants

Japanese seafood market has witnessed a slow but steadfast increase in the amount of certified seafood circulated on the market despite the fact that there are few incentives to apply for certification schemes such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). This is because it is difficult for the producers to reap benefits from the price premium as the retailers are unwilling to charge the consumers with a higher price for the certified seafood; at the same time, there are no sourcing codes set by the retailers to ban the access of uncertified seafood. By conducting semi-structured interviews with the applicants of MSC and ASC, this study reveals the motivation of the applicants such as the desire of producers to differentiate their seafood products from similar products on the market and to establish stable distribution channels with large retailers. We argue that this type of motivation poses a unique challenge in promoting sustainable seafood in Japan, that is the certified product needs to remain a small proportion of circulated seafood products.

Sustainable Seafood Consumption in Action: Reinvigorating Consumers’ Right to Information in a Borderless Digital World

ABSTRACT Sustainable consumption is a core pillar to give effect to Goal 12 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015. This article identifies consumers’ right to information as a legal conduit to integrate consumer interests with those of industry and regulatory stakeholders through globalized and digitized supply chains. Drawing on the momentum for integration in global fisheries management, the article studies the rise and proliferation of transnational governance models for information to secure legal and sustainable seafood supplies. It critically evaluates the reasons for and consequences of less-than-full engagement and legal protection of consumers in major seafood retail markets, including the European Union and the USA. Their existing seafood traceability systems fail to make sufficient information available to consumers, despite the ability to trace imported seafood to the origin of catch. As the goal of sustainable consumption hinges on consumer choice in an increasingly borderless market, the unavoidable challenge is to enhance consumer-facing traceability and transparency.

Equity in a sea of debt: how better understanding of small-scale fisheries can help reel in sustainable seafood

Abstract Small-scale fisheries are globally important to food security, nutrition, culture, ecosystem health, and livelihoods for millions of people. They also face considerable ecological, and economic pressures, including climate change, privatization, and top-down decision-making. Historically, processes of exclusion (e.g. industrialization, market forces, and settler colonialism) have persisted in the global food system. To mitigate against such processes and protect the livelihoods and human rights of small-scale fishers, the socially responsible seafood movement has emerged. This paper examines the local relationships in a seafood value chain in Indonesia, which extends from village fishers to international export markets. We present a case study from Sumbawa Indonesia, where a foreign direct seafood exporter is focused on sourcing socially responsible seafood from waters worked by small-scale fishers. Applying a systems lens, we analyse how a system driven by market forces and underpinned by western values can integrate with a system driven by traditional customs, social ties, and trust. The findings demonstrate that social connections and feedbacks within the value chain play a key role. Systems thinking reveals pathways to help synergize the two systems. This research shows that to deliver on the promise of socially responsible seafood, better understanding is needed of the interconnected social, cultural, and economic ties of small-scale fishers.

Combatting illegal fishing through transparency initiatives : Lessons learned from comparative analysis of transparency initiatives in seafood, apparel, extractive, and timber supply chains

Over the last two decades, efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing have led to an expansion of initiatives to enhance transparency across the seafood industry through international agreements, national government regulations, and voluntary private initiatives. Understanding of the effects of these initiatives remains limited, and approaches contested among stakeholders. Yet similar transparency initiatives introduced in recent decades across other sectors whose goal is to expand sustainability in global supply chains, may offer applicable lessons for seafood sustainability. Through a comparative review of transparency initiatives adopted in apparel, extractives, and timber supply chains, this study draws out lessons to inform efforts to expand transparency in seafood supply chains in order to combat illegal fishing. Across the literature reviewed on these three industries and seafood, there was mixed consensus that the initiatives met their intended sustainability goals or significantly affected costs and revenues, based on the evidence available. The review finds a trend across the three industries for increased transparency initiatives in international supply chains, which are often voluntary or state-based initiatives. This trend was commonly motivated by expanded trade and reputational risks from consumer demand, and external pressure from civil society. Transparency initiatives were often driven by governments, lead firms, and markets from developed countries. Conversely the resources and/or producers targeted by the transparency activities have been more widely dispersed worldwide, with many located in developing countries. Comparing across the sectors, lessons learned are distilled to inform efforts aiming to expand transparency in seafood supply chains.

From water to table: A multidisciplinary approach comparing fish from aquaponics with traditional production methods

Global fisheries are insufficient to meet the rising seafood demand of a rapidly growing population. Aquaponics – the co-production of fish and produce in a water-circulating system where fish naturally fertilize the plants, which in turn filter the water for the fish – offers a potential solution to sustainable aquaculture. Despite the ecological promise of aquaponics, relatively little is known about the impact of this novel production method on fish composition, sensory properties, and consumer acceptance. In this research, we offered a unique, interdisciplinary perspective to examine the market potential of aquaponics by conducting a series of multidisciplinary studies to compare yellow perch (Perca flavescens) from a combined Recirculating Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture System (RIMTAS) with fish from traditional production methods (i.e., wild-caught and farm-raised). Our quality parameter and macronutrient analyses showed that aquaponic perch were comparable to their wild-caught and farm-raised counterparts in texture, moisture content, total fat, and total protein. We also demonstrated that aquaponic perch were as liked as wild-caught perch in a consumer sensory evaluation. Furthermore, in a consumer perception and acceptance study, we found that providing information about the environmental benefits of aquaponics significantly increased consumer tastiness perception, healthiness perception, and purchase intention to a level at or exceeding that of wild-caught perch. With proper messaging strategies, aquaponic fish can compete in the market with wild-caught fish. Our findings offer insights to stakeholders in the aquaculture value chain as they explore and establish RIMTAS aquaponics as an environmentally and economically sustainable seafood production source.

The development of “Blue Seafood Guide,” a sustainable seafood rating program, and its implication in Japan

Marine fish stocks have declined globally over the past half-century, and raising awareness of sustainable fisheries and seafood consumption has become a critical issue. The Blue Seafood Guide was launched as Japan’s first sustainable seafood rating program in 2013 with limited fisheries' data. In 2018, an original science-based methodology was incorporated into the guide to balance scientific rigor against the data deficiencies inherent in common Japanese management practices, including a lack of sufficient output control and catch information. This paper aims to illustrate why and how the Blue Seafood Guide (BSG), Japan’s first sustainable seafood rating program, was developed to best suit Japan's insufficient data infrastructure to raise awareness around sustainable seafood consumption. Also, it explains how the BSG attempted to create a nexus between fishery certificates and rating programs. In 2020, new legislation and Japanese fisheries policy reforms led to the implementation of catch documentation and import control rules. As a result, the Japanese fishing industry is experiencing a revolutionary transition to a global standard for sustainable fisheries. The BSG focuses on the nexus of science and policy and seeks to establish collaboration between certification and rating programs to accomplish its mission of encouraging sustainable seafood consumption positively and protecting the oceans for generations to come. This paper also summarized BSG’s implementation activities for awareness rising in Japan. At the discussion, we summarize lessons learnt and demonstrate perspectives for those who intend to develop seafood rating programs in other countries or areas similar to Japan.

Tensions in the communication of science advice on fish and fisheries: northern cod, species at risk, sustainable seafood

Abstract Providing science-based advice can be challenging. Personal in its reflections, the story that follows asks throughout: What constitutes an appropriate model for the communication of science-based advice that best serves society? The first “front line,” in 1992, involved tenuous hypotheses on the collapse and recovery of Newfoundland's Northern cod (Gadus morhua), raising troubling questions about political influence on science-based advice and on its integrity. These questions subsequently motivated a critique written with two colleagues on the communication of science to decision-makers, provoking a telling invective from a government department in defence of the status quo. The story transitions to my 2000–2012 tenure as a member and then as chair of Canada's national body advising which species should be on the legally binding national at-risk register, illustrating how politically sensitive science-based advice can be objectively, effectively, and independently communicated, unfiltered by vested interests. Since 2009, I have served as independent science advisor on the sourcing of sustainable seafood to Canada's largest food retailer, providing a meaningful, impactful opportunity to advise their decision-makers. Science-based advice, free from political and advocacy-driven vested interests, is a requisite return for tax-supported investments in science. If provision of such advice is a “moral imperative,” as argued more than 60 years ago by C.P. Snow, then scientists are obliged to be the best advisors that we can be.

Sustainable processes for treatment and management of seafood solid waste

Seafood processing is an important economical activity worldwide and is an integral part of the food chain system. However, their processing results in solid waste generation whose disposal and management is a serious concern. Proteins, amino acids, lipids with high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), carotenoids, and minerals are abundant in the discards, effluents, and by-catch of seafood processing waste. As a result, it causes nutritional loss and poses major environmental risks. To solve the issues, it is critical that the waste be exposed to secondary processing and valorization for recovery of value added products. Although chemical waste treatment technologies are available, the majority of these procedures have inherent flaws. Biological solutions, on the other hand, are safe, efficacious, and ecologically friendly while maintaining the intrinsic bioactivities after waste conversion. Microbial fermentation or the actions of exogenously introduced enzymes on waste components are used in most bioconversion processes. Algal biotechnology has recently developed unique technologies for biotransformation of nutrients, which may be employed as a feedstock for the recovery of important chemicals as well as biofuel. Bioconversion methods combined with a bio-refinery strategy offer the potential to enable environmentally-friendly and cost-effective seafood waste management. The refinement of these wastes through sustainable bioprocessing interventions can give rise to various circular bioeconomies within the seafood processing sector. Moreover, a techno-economic perspective on the developed solid waste processing lines and its subsequent environmental impact could facilitate commercialization. This review aims to provide a comprehensive view and critical analysis of the recent updates in seafood waste processing in terms of bioconversion processes and byproduct development. Various case studies on circular bioeconomy formulated on seafood processing waste along with techno-economic feasibility for the possible development of sustainable seafood biorefineries have also been discussed.

Mussel farming production capacity and food web interactions in a mesotrophic environment

Low trophic aquaculture (LTA), such as bivalve farming, offers promising avenues to supply sustainable seafood and aquafeed. While bivalve farming usually occurs in highly productive coastal areas which already support numerous human activities and suffer from environmental pressures, numerical tools offer a promising avenue to explore and assess biomass production potential and associated ecosystemic impacts for further development of the industry and prospection of new exploitation sites. In this study, we coupled an ecophysiological model, the dynamic energy budget theory (DEB), with an ecosystem model (NORWECOM.E2E) to simulate blue mussel Mytilus spp. farming production and effects based on the food web in the mesotrophic Hardangerfjord in western Norway. We tested several levels of fjord-scale farming intensity and assessed 2 production purposes: aquafeed and human consumption. Results suggested the Hardangerfjord could host large-scale mussel farming for both purposes. However, large exploitation schemes displayed detrimental effects on individual mussel growth (39% less wet mass after 2 yr) and especially on secondary production (decrease of 33% after 1 yr) due to acute trophic competition. Simulations showed short production cycles for aquafeed were more efficient to exploit primary production, since young and small mussels have lower maintenance and reproduction costs. Dissolved nutrient inputs from salmonid farms had marginal effects on primary production (<2%). However, salmonid and mussel farming activities could compete for the sites with the highest production potential.

First Movement: “Sustainable Seafood”

First Movement: “Sustainable Seafood”

Improving the texture and rheological qualities of a plant-based fishball analogue by using konjac glucomannan to enhance crosslinks with soy protein

Global fisheries pressure generates interest in sustainable seafood production and developing plant-based seafood. This study took fishball as an example of seafood products applying konjac glucomannan (KGM) in developing plant-based fishball (PFB) analogues mimicking the texture of fishball. Increasing KGM concentration (up to 8.0%) influenced texture and rheological properties of PFB progressively, where the hardness, chewiness, and gel strength of PFB were significantly enhanced. Decreased pH value (9.38 to 7.93) and increased α-helix, β-sheet, and helix/coil ratio (1.40 to 1.70%) validated a promotion of hydrogen bonds and ordered structures by KGM. The strengthened interaction strength and hydrogen bonds formed at -OH groups of KGM and amide linkage of soy protein could be responsible for textural improvement. A more compact and regular microstructure also validated a firmer texture in PFB with higher KGM levels. Besides, KGM (3.5–8.0%) significantly decreased instantaneous compliance J0 (101.3 × 10−6 to 58.1 × 10−6 Pa−1), indicating denser crosslinks and firmer structures. In conclusion, KGM improved the texture and viscoelasticity of PFB and had an excellent application value in developing plant-based seafood analogues.

Enhancing Sustainable Consumption in China: A Seafood Example

Abstract In recent years, market surveys on sustainable seafood consumption have analysed Chinese people’s willingness to purchase ecolabelled seafood produced and imported into China. Endogenous and exogenous determinants are thereby unveiled to explore Chinese consumers’ sustainability consciousness, purchasing decisions, and the means of bridging the divide. This article builds upon and adds to these empirical findings with a market-based and information lens. It draws inspiration from analysing the growing interest of younger and middle-class consumers in acquiring seafood information; integrative sourcing and marketing strategies of intermediary businesses to deliver such information; and awakening of public regulators to the imperative of realizing the right to information of less-informed parties. Instead of segregating these stakeholders along a linear supply chain, the study emphasizes the deepening of a consumer-centric information network underpinned by supply chain transparency and traceability. It thus aims to inform a steady shift from a production-oriented to a consumer-oriented seafood management paradigm through systematic reforms of China’s consumer law. To encourage and empower sustainable consumption, the ‘consumer’ notion needs proper broadening and consumers’ right to know should be recognized as a judicial and self-contained legal entitlement with enforcement safeguards.

Opportunities and challenges for upscaled global bivalve seafood production.

Slow growth in the bivalve mariculture sector results from production inefficiencies, food safety concerns, limited availability of convenience products and low consumer demand. Here we assess whether bivalves could meet mass-market seafood demand across the bivalve value chain. We explore how bivalve production could become more efficient, strategies for increasing edible meat yield and how food safety could be improved through food processing technologies and new depuration innovations. Finally, we examine barriers to consumer uptake, such as food allergen prevalence and bivalve preparation challenges, highlighting that appealing and convenient bivalve food products could provide consumers with nutritious and sustainable seafood options-and contribute positively to global food systems.

Determinants affecting consumers' attention to fish eco-labels in purchase decisions: a cross-country study

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the role of consumer altruism and other socio-cultural factors in predicting how much attention consumers pay to seafood eco-labels.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical investigation was carried out by administering an online questionnaire to a sample of Italian and Spanish people from December 2019 to April 2020. After carrying out the principal component analysis procedure, the work made use of an ordinal logistic regression.FindingsBoth Italian and Spanish consumers with an altruistic attitude, who feel that food produced in a sustainable way can protect the environment and workers, appear more likely to take an eco-label into account. In addition, in both countries, consumers with a higher level of education and in the older age range are more likely to read eco-labels before buying fish products.Research limitations/implicationsThe first limitation is mainly related to the sampling procedure, which is not probabilistic and does not allow for generalisation of the results. Furthermore, some indicators related to COVID-19 were not included as the planning stage of the research methodology occurred before the pandemic.Practical implicationsA better understanding of the main determinants predicting consumers' attention to seafood eco-labels could be crucial to promote effective marketing strategies aimed at increasing consumer interest and awareness in sustainable seafood and eco-labels.Originality/valueExploring the role of consumers' altruism in how much attention is paid to seafood eco-labels appears to be a new approach that emphasises the role of altruism as a variable capable of bridging the “value-action gap”.

Recommendations for Integrating Evidence-Based, Sustainable Diet Information into Nutrition Education.

The adoption of more sustainable diets (SD) has the capacity to meet the needs of individuals without compromising future generations’ abilities to do the same. Nutrition educators are ideal candidates for delivering SD education to consumers, yet evidence-based recommendations for the profession have not been crafted. The results of a thorough, narrative review of the literature performed in 2021 suggest there are five well-supported recommendations nutrition educators should consider incorporating in their work. They are (1) shift towards a plant-based diet, (2) mitigate food waste, (3) limit consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), (4) engage in local food systems, and (5) choose sustainable seafood. Each recommendation is discussed below in detail, to provide nutrition educators with a nuanced scope of the issue, after which suggestions for the inclusion of these recommendations, using an example of the authors’ experiences from the US Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), are provided.

Sustainable regional industry development through co-evolution - the case of salmon farming and cell-based seafood production

Norway is the largest producers of aquaculture salmon in the world, and the Bergen region is the centre of Norwegian salmon production. In this article we explore the opportunities and obstacles in introducing cell-based seafood as a new related industry niche in the region through coevolution with the established salmon farming industry. Introducing a new industry niche to this region could contribute to a comprehensive renewal of existing seafood-related activity and represent a major step towards sustainable seafood production. Cell-based seafood may eliminate sea lice, escapee and excess nutrient impacts on the surroundings by enabling highly controlled and contained seafood production. We found that coevolution between the cell-based seafood sector and the salmon industry in the Bergen region will be difficult to materialize at the present time. There are two main explanations. First, coevolution is challenging when the dominant path (i.e., salmon farming) is in a stable state. High profitability and a stable state mean that this industry absorbs investors, technology suppliers and research milieus that may otherwise have been on the lookout for alternatives and supplementary business opportunities. It also means that incumbents within the dominant path will not be looking for diversification alternatives. Secondly, there are distinct differences between the two industry paths when it comes to knowledge base, innovation mode and geographical configurations, making actor mobility, knowledge spillovers and resource sharing between the two industry paths challenging. We also find that coevolution may occur in the future through industrial convergent evolution mechanisms of downstream value chains as the cell-based seafood industry matures.

Ecosystem services in salmon aquaculture sustainability schemes

The need to employ management strategies that recognize ecosystem services and their trade-offs is considered a cornerstone for the implementation of an Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA), yet it is unclear how to operationalize these concepts. Here, the role of certification and sustainable seafood ranking programs (sustainability schemes) in maintaining ecosystem services and supporting an EAA was explored. The representation of ecosystem services within sustainability scheme criteria, as well as the attributes of those criteria, were assessed using marine salmon aquaculture as a case study. Criteria reflected a range of ecosystem services and support reducing pressure on those services. However, consideration of the resilience capacity of ecosystem services, recognition of enhancements to ecosystem services, and attributes that support cost-benefit analysis of salmon farming appear to be limited within sustainability scheme criteria. Overall, the farm-scale assessment approach of many sustainability schemes appears to be incongruent with the broader spatial perspective required to operationalize EAA.

Reducing Mediterranean Seafood Footprints: The role of consumer attitudes

Seafood is central to the diet of Mediterranean inhabitants. However, there is high consumer demand for certain species whose populations are rapidly declining in the Mediterranean Sea. Diversifying regional seafood preferences has the potential to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems while supporting local fishing economies. Here, we explored this opportunity through case studies in three Mediterranean countries: Croatia, Italy, and Turkey. First, we conducted an Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) to quantify the environmental impact of each country's food consumption choices. Then, we distributed a seafood consumer survey to understand each country's dietary preferences and residents' overall willingness to change their diets, with a specific focus on products from Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF). We found food consumption to be the primary Ecological Footprint driver in all three countries, with a contribution from the consumption of fish and seafood ranging from 6% (Turkey) to 11% (Italy) of each country's food Footprint. Results from the consumer survey showed that dietary preferences were unique to each culture. For example, consumers in Italy and Turkey were more willing to modify their diets than residents surveyed in Croatia. Across all three countries, consumers who are more aware of product labels, origin, and freshness of seafood products were more willing to purchase diverse seafood products. To diversify seafood consumption choices, particularly away from high trophic level species, consumer awareness campaigns should be tailored to meet the preferences of each unique culture in the Mediterranean. A broader Pan-Mediterranean study of culturally-unique consumer attitudes is warranted to accelerate progress towards sustainable seafood consumption in the region that benefits both biodiversity and local fishing economies.

Ecolabeled seafood and sustainable consumption in the Canadian context: issues and insights from a survey of seafood consumers

The concept of sustainable consumption is a much debated practice that has been seen as an outcome of the emergence of ecological citizenship—a concept that brings together the citizen and the environment in a framework that is underlined by social justice considerations and incorporates a vision of citizenship that involves both the private sphere and the public sphere of human activity. This study examines Canadian consumer awareness and uptake of certified sustainable seafood. We introduce the concepts ecological citizenship and sustainable consumption as a way of framing our research. Seafood ecolabels may be a valuable tool in translating general environmental concern about the marine environment into more sustainable fisheries practices. We conducted an on-site consumer survey in the Greater Toronto Area and a nearby city. Our findings showed that in contrast to high levels of awareness of the importance of the marine environment and the sustainability of seafood, consumers had a limited understanding about the meaning of sustainability in the case of seafood, and little knowledge about actual ecolabels found in the Canadian marketplace. Attitudes towards the marine environment and sustainable seafood, understanding of the meaning of seafood sustainability, and purchasing behaviors of sustainable seafood were significantly different by some socio-demographic characteristics. Positive attitudes towards the marine environment and sustainable seafood and better understanding of seafood sustainability were significantly associated with the increased purchasing of ecolabeled seafood. Lack of understanding of ecolabels, limited information about product sustainability, and lack of in-store guidance were identified as key barriers to purchasing ecolabeled seafood products.