IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i2p587-d1566331.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

UK Public Attitudes and Perceptions of Seafood Sustainability: A Case Study of the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide

Author

Listed:
  • Bernadette M. Clarke

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK)

  • Emma McKinley

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK)

  • Rhoda C. Ballinger

    (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK)

Abstract

Globally, the ocean faces growing pressures from various human activities, not just those related to overfishing and other fisheries related issues. In response to these pressures over the last few decades, seafood guides were developed to influence seafood purchasing behaviour and in turn increase the sustainability of the fisheries sector. However, to date there has been limited evaluation of the use and impact of these guides, and little assessment of public perceptions and attitudes to seafood sustainability. Using a public questionnaire ( n = 2409) and the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS’s) Good Fish Guide (GFG) as a case study, this study explored UK public attitudes and perceptions toward seafood sustainability and examined the role of the GFG in encouraging sustainable seafood purchasing habits. Motivational drivers and barriers to using the MCS GFG were also investigated. A positive attitude towards the guide and knowledge, including understanding of the importance of sustainability, were found to be important motivators of use. The main barrier was found as lack of awareness of the guide for 69% of participants. This study also revealed that the perception of seafood as healthy, and a more environmentally friendly animal protein than land-based alternatives is an important driver for its consumption. MCS GFG users were found to purchase significantly more (60%) seafood compared to non-users with a slight majority (53%) reporting that guide use influences their purchasing behaviour. These findings have practical implications for using guides to increase seafood consumption in line with UK government dietary guidelines whilst simultaneously meeting global sustainability goals. The study makes a unique contribution to understanding how the use of seafood guides can influence public purchasing behaviour both in the UK and globally and thus their potential for impacting the sustainability of seafood supply chains more generally.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernadette M. Clarke & Emma McKinley & Rhoda C. Ballinger, 2025. "UK Public Attitudes and Perceptions of Seafood Sustainability: A Case Study of the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-32, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:587-:d:1566331
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/587/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/587/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher D. Golden & J. Zachary Koehn & Alon Shepon & Simone Passarelli & Christopher M. Free & Daniel F. Viana & Holger Matthey & Jacob G. Eurich & Jessica A. Gephart & Etienne Fluet-Chouinard & E, 2021. "Aquatic foods to nourish nations," Nature, Nature, vol. 598(7880), pages 315-320, October.
    2. Lucas, Sterenn & Salladarré, Frédéric & Brécard, Dorothée, 2018. "Green consumption and peer effects: Does it work for seafood products?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 44-55.
    3. Jessica A. Gephart & Patrik J. G. Henriksson & Robert W. R. Parker & Alon Shepon & Kelvin D. Gorospe & Kristina Bergman & Gidon Eshel & Christopher D. Golden & Benjamin S. Halpern & Sara Hornborg & Ma, 2021. "Environmental performance of blue foods," Nature, Nature, vol. 597(7876), pages 360-365, September.
    4. Christina C. Hicks & Philippa J. Cohen & Nicholas A. J. Graham & Kirsty L. Nash & Edward H. Allison & Coralie D’Lima & David J. Mills & Matthew Roscher & Shakuntala H. Thilsted & Andrew L. Thorne-Lyma, 2019. "Harnessing global fisheries to tackle micronutrient deficiencies," Nature, Nature, vol. 574(7776), pages 95-98, October.
    5. Jacquet, Jennifer L. & Pauly, Daniel, 2007. "The rise of seafood awareness campaigns in an era of collapsing fisheries," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 308-313, May.
    6. Johnston, Robert J. & Roheim, Cathy A., 2006. "A Battle of Taste and Environmental Convictions for Ecolabeled Seafood: A Contingent Ranking Experiment," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 31(2), pages 1-18, August.
    7. Brécard, Dorothée & Hlaimi, Boubaker & Lucas, Sterenn & Perraudeau, Yves & Salladarré, Frédéric, 2009. "Determinants of demand for green products: An application to eco-label demand for fish in Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 115-125, November.
    8. Bronnmann, Julia & Asche, Frank, 2017. "Sustainable Seafood From Aquaculture and Wild Fisheries: Insights From a Discrete Choice Experiment in Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 113-119.
    9. Birch, Dawn & Memery, Juliet & De Silva Kanakaratne, Maheshan, 2018. "The mindful consumer: Balancing egoistic and altruistic motivations to purchase local food," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 221-228.
    10. Flynn, Leisa Reinecke & Goldsmith, Ronald E., 1999. "A Short, Reliable Measure of Subjective Knowledge," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 57-66, September.
    11. Isabel Richter & John Thøgersen & Christian A. Klöckner, 2017. "Sustainable Seafood Consumption in Action: Relevant Behaviors and their Predictors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-19, December.
    12. Simeone, Mariarosaria & Scarpato, Debora, 2014. "The low commercial value fish. How can we increase its consumption," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 15(01), pages 1-17.
    13. Pieniak, Zuzanna & Vanhonacker, Filiep & Verbeke, Wim, 2013. "Consumer knowledge and use of information about fish and aquaculture," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 25-30.
    14. Michaela Fox & Mike Mitchell & Moira Dean & Christopher Elliott & Katrina Campbell, 2018. "The seafood supply chain from a fraudulent perspective," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(4), pages 939-963, August.
    15. Almeida, Cheila & Karadzic, Vanja & Vaz, Sofia, 2015. "The seafood market in Portugal: Driving forces and consequences," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 87-94.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Davide Menozzi & Thong Tien Nguyen & Giovanni Sogari & Dimitar Taskov & Sterenn Lucas & José Luis Santiago Castro-Rial & Cristina Mora, 2020. "Consumers’ Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Fish Products with Health and Environmental Labels: Evidence from Five European Countries," Post-Print hal-02935812, HAL.
    2. Alexis Gutierrez & Thomas F. Thornton, 2014. "Can Consumers Understand Sustainability through Seafood Eco-Labels? A U.S. and UK Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(11), pages 1-23, November.
    3. Frank Wijen & Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, 2019. "Controversy Over Voluntary Environmental Standards: A Socioeconomic Analysis of the Marine Stewardship Council," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-02071504, HAL.
    4. Jean-Francois Dewals & Sterenn Lucas & Fabienne Daures & Pascal Floc’h & Kilian Heutte, 2024. "Assessment of consumer preferences in the context of multiple labels: the case of fishery and aquaculture products," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 105(2), pages 299-325, November.
    5. Onozaka, Yuko & Honkanen, Pirjo & Altintzoglou, Themistoklis, 2023. "Sustainability, perceived quality and country of origin of farmed salmon: Impact on consumer choices in the USA, France and Japan," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    6. Malin Jonell & Beatrice Crona & Kelsey Brown & Patrik Rönnbäck & Max Troell, 2016. "Eco-Labeled Seafood: Determinants for (Blue) Green Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Hallstein, Eric & Villas-Boas, Sofia Berto, 2009. "Are Consumers Color Blind?: an empirical investigation of a traffic light advisory for sustainable seafood," CUDARE Working Papers 120535, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    8. Dana Miller & Stefano Mariani, 2013. "Irish fish, Irish people: roles and responsibilities for an emptying ocean," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 529-546, April.
    9. Naylor, Rosamond & Fang, Safari & Fanzo, Jessica, 2023. "A global view of aquaculture policy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    10. Lucas, Sterenn & Soler, Louis-Georges & Rouvin, Etienne, 2020. "Success factors of innovations," Working Papers 302471, Institut National de la recherche Agronomique (INRA), Departement Sciences Sociales, Agriculture et Alimentation, Espace et Environnement (SAE2).
    11. Sigurdsson, Valdimar & Larsen, Nils Magne & Pálsdóttir, Rakel Gyða & Folwarczny, Michal & Menon, R.G. Vishnu & Fagerstrøm, Asle, 2022. "Increasing the effectiveness of ecological food signaling: Comparing sustainability tags with eco-labels," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1099-1110.
    12. Stefanie Colombo & Juan A. Manríquez-Hernández & Janet Music & Sylvain Charlebois, 2024. "Canadians’ Opinions and Preferences regarding Seafood, and the Factors That Contribute to Their Consumption and Purchasing Habits," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-12, January.
    13. Fang, Yingkai & Asche, Frank, 2021. "Can U.S. import regulations reduce IUU fishing and improve production practices in aquaculture?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    14. Natali, F. & Cacchiarelli, L. & Branca, G., 2022. "There are plenty more (sustainable) fish in the sea: A discrete choice experiment on discarded species in Italy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    15. Zander, Katrin & Feucht, Yvonne, 2018. "Who is Prepared to Pay For Sustainable Fish? Evidence from a Transnational Consumer Survey in Europe," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276859, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    16. Johan Blomquist & Valerio Bartolino & Staffan Waldo, 2015. "Price Premiums for Providing Eco‐labelled Seafood: Evidence from MSC‐certified Cod in Sweden," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(3), pages 690-704, September.
    17. Taryn M. Garlock & Frank Asche & James L. Anderson & Håkan Eggert & Thomas M. Anderson & Bin Che & Carlos A. Chávez & Jingjie Chu & Nnaemeka Chukwuone & Madan M. Dey & Kevin Fitzsimmons & Jimely Flore, 2024. "Environmental, economic, and social sustainability in aquaculture: the aquaculture performance indicators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    18. Stoll, Joshua S. & Johnson, Teresa R., 2015. "Under the banner of sustainability: The politics and prose of an emerging US federal seafood certification," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 415-422.
    19. Wesley Malcorps & Richard W. Newton & Silvia Maiolo & Mahmoud Eltholth & Changbo Zhu & Wenbo Zhang & Saihong Li & Michael Tlusty & David C. Little, 2021. "Global Seafood Trade: Insights in Sustainability Messaging and Claims of the Major Producing and Consuming Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, October.
    20. Heimann, Tobias & Delzeit, Ruth, 2024. "Land for fish: Quantifying the connection between the aquaculture sector and agricultural markets," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:587-:d:1566331. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.