Reasons Underpinning Changing Australian Seafood Consumption Patterns

This paper reports the results of a national survey of 2538 Australian consumers undertaken on behalf of the Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre which investigated average weekly levels of seafood consumption and drivers and barriers to eating seafood. This paper focuses specifically on reasons for changing consumption of seafood. The findings reveal that Australian consumers report eating more seafood, but many are still consuming below the recommended two servings per week. Reasons for increased seafood consumption include health and diet, taste, greater availability and affordability and moral obligation to eat and serve seafood. Conversely, reasons for consuming less seafood include perceptions of lack of affordability and availability, poor quality, changes in household make-up and changing dietary choices around reduced animal protein consumption. Recommendations for more effective educational and marketing interventions aimed at leveraging drivers and reducing barriers to seafood consumption are presented