The “Fast Fish” Campaign in Japan and Consumers’ Consciousness of Marine Environmental Preservation

Extended Abstract and PresentationThe “Fast Fish” campaign is a policy promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Japan. The term “Fast Fish” refers to fish products that are boneless and easy to prepare. Our study examined the campaign’s influence on consumer consciousness of marine environmental preservation in Japan, which is a major seafood-consuming country. To obtain the data for analysis, an Internet questionnaire survey was conducted with 420 consumers throughout Japan last November 2013. The sample was randomly selected, stratified by age and prefecture, and based on statistics of the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (2010). Structural equation modeling analysis was then applied to the data. The results are as follows. For the determinants of consumer consciousness of marine environmental preservation, both eating more and cooking more fish may have a positive impact but only the latter was found to be statistically significant. The consequence of this study suggests that it is important not only to increase fish consumption but also to assist consumer knowledge of traditional, local, and/or unique fish dishes, and fishery resources in order to enhance consumer awareness of fishery management issues