Public opinion on fish welfare
12,301 respondents from 12 different countries completed. The fieldwork ran from March 20th to April 5th 2024. Data were weighted in each country to be nationally representative by age, gender and region.
The 12 countries included: China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, USA
- Most people agree that fish can feel pain. There is more doubt on the emotional/intelligence statements, though the trend is positive.
- Most people believe we should protect the welfare of fish just like we do for other animals we eat.
- This conviction drives widespread advocacy for enacting stricter legislation regarding the welfare of aquatic animals.
- In addition, a majority of citizens harbor the opinion that live sales of aquatic animals to consumers should be banned. However, their concern varies slightly between mussels and other aquatic species.
- The support for a ban on the live sale of fish and lobsters is highest in Germany, Italy, Poland, France and Greece.
- Finally, citizens also expect public funds to be allocated transparently, prioritizing farms that uphold high animal welfare and sustainability standards.
- There is a notable lack of awareness regarding fish farming practices, with nearly 50% indicating familiarity with max. 2 statements on the subject.
- 4 out of 10 EU citizens consume fish at least once a week.
- Consumers primarily prioritize factors such as freshness, quality, and cost when selecting fish. Additionally, 61% of consumers also take into account welfare-related considerations.
- The willingness to pay for higher welfare fish products is quite high: 9 out of 10 would like to buy higher welfare fish products, with almost 1 out of 4 willing to pay a significant premium.
- Consumers recognize numerous benefits in opting for higher welfare fish products, encompassing both the welfare of the fish and the overall quality of the food.
- EU citizens seem to associate aquatic animal welfare considerations with sustainability labels #labelling
- They also show openness to having information about fish farming practices on the labels of fish products.
- Their current knowledge on common labels is nevertheless poor: they either lack awareness or believe that these labels impose rigorous welfare standards.
AI suggested related notes
These notes appear semantically similar based on Smart Connections embeddings:
- How much do Europeans care about fish welfare (An analysis of relevant surveys) (Rethink Priorities) (similarity: 79.6%)
- Most people strongly support animal rights (similarity: 75.4%)
- Looking Beneath the Surface - Fish Welfare in European Aquaculture (Eurogroup for Animals) (similarity: 74.1%)