Swiss consumers want sustainable fish

The worldwide and largest independent consumer survey to date on the subject of fish consumption revealed that the issue of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role when buying fish in Switzerland. For the 653 fish consumers surveyed in Switzerland, the sustainability of a fish product is the most important factor after freshness and the health aspect - far ahead of factors such as price or brand. With this result, the Swiss are the most "sustainability-sensitive" fish consumers worldwide.

"The consumer survey also shows how differently the fish industry ticks compared to other industries. Sustainability obviously has real relevance here and consumers give it a higher priority in their choice of products than we thought.", according to Caroline Holme, Managing Director of GlobeScan, the market research institute conducting the survey.

Two out of three of the fish eaters surveyed in Switzerland (67%) expressed a willingness to dig deeper into their wallets for sustainable fish products than for non-sustainable ones. Even a price increase of 11% would still be acceptable for half of the respondents.

Consumers trust in NGOs - and in their own consumer power

The high willingness of Swiss people to buy sustainably caught fish (81%) in a global comparison is also related to the fact that there is a particularly strong awareness in this country - not least thanks to years of educational work by organizations such as the WWF - of the threats to our oceans and the problem of overfishing.

When asked who could contribute most to the protection of the oceans, consumers most frequently named non-governmental organizations (52%) and scientific institutions (34%). This is followed by consumers themselves: One in four believes that they can influence the protection of the oceans through their purchasing behavior. Governments, on the other hand, are rated as having little influence.

"Fish eaters in Switzerland are aware of the importance of sustainable fishing - and they are willing to change their purchasing behavior to protect the oceans. They feel empowered to vote for sustainability with their wallets.", says Andrea Harmsen, MSC press spokesperson for Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

The high level of consumer trust in the positive influence of non-governmental organizations and science also matches consumers' perception of the MSC: 73% of consumers who are familiar with the MSC label find it trustworthy and view the organization's influence positively. Three quarters of all fish consumers in Switzerland (76%) continue to believe that brands and supermarkets should have statements about the sustainability of their products independently verified.

Expanded range can facilitate sustainable choice

Sustainability awareness among the Swiss is high, as is their willingness to buy sustainably caught fish, and seals such as that of the MSC make it easy for consumers to recognize sustainable products at first glance. 69% of those surveyed - and the trend is rising - say they already buy fish and seafood with sustainability labels whenever possible. However, the supply of fish from sustainable catches is still limited. Only 10% of all fish and seafood worldwide comes from MSC-certified, sustainable fisheries.

"MSC's collaboration with scientists, other non-governmental organizations, the fishing industry and retailers has already led to many positive changes in our oceans. But we must continue to work with our partners and consumers to increase the share of sustainable fisheries in the global wild fish catch, laying the foundation for sustainable consumer choices.", Rupert Howes, managing director of the MSC, emphasizes.

The figures for the study as infographics (Source: MSC)

About the study

The latest global consumer survey was the largest of its kind on fish consumption to date. It was conducted this year by the independent research institute GlobeScan carried out on behalf of the MSC. The research was conducted according to the latest scientific standards and in collaboration with renowned country-specific online consumer panels. It took place in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The main sample included 16,876 consumers who said that they or someone in their household had bought fish or seafood within the last two months. In Switzerland, 811 consumers participated in the survey. The sample was weighted by gender, age, region and education.

Source: MSC