Publicattitudestowardsaquaticanimalwelfare

Surveypreparedfor:

October2024

1.Background&researchdesign

Researchdesign&sample

Toanswertheresearchquestions,anonlinesurvey

of±12minuteswasdesigned,which12301

respondentsfrom12differentcountriescompleted.ThefieldworkranfromMarch20thtoApril5th2024.

Datawereweightedineachcountrytobe

nationallyrepresentativebyage,genderandregion.

ThisreporthighlightstheresultsfromChina.

The12countriesincluded:China,CzechRepublic,France,Germany,Greece,Italy,Poland,Spain,Sweden,TheNetherlands,UnitedKingdom,USA

Pleasenotethatduetorounding,percentagesonsomegraphsmayaddupto101%,andthetop-2scoresmaydifferby1%fromtheactualunderlyingscores.

3

Questionnaire

Thequestionnaireconsistedofthefollowingtopics:

-Background

-AttitudesTowardsAnimals

-Importance&AwarenessofAquaticAnimalWelfare

-ConsumptionHabits&Behaviour

-WelfareLabelling

-Sociodemo&Profiling

4

2.Results

2.1Attitudes

TowardsAnimals

Mostpeopleagreethatfishcanfeelpain.Thereismoredoubtontheemotional/intelligencestatements,thoughthetrendispositive.

“Q5.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewitheachofthefollowingstatements?”

Fishfeelpain*

Fishfeelnegativeemotions,e.g.,fear

Fishareintelligent*

Fishfeelpositiveemotions,e.g.,pleasure

Fisharesentient

10%19%

8%20%

10%

28%

10%

27%

4%14%

42%

48%

44%

41%

45%

27%

23%

17%

19%

37%

Top-2%

(tendto/strongly

agree)

69%

71%

61%

60%

82%

0%100%

Don'tknowStronglydisagreeTendtodisagreeTendtoagreeStronglyagree

7

*Thisstatementwasnegatedinthequestionnaire(i.e.‘Fishdonotfeelpain’/’Fisharenotintelligent’).Forthesakeofuniforminterpretation,thestatementisreversedhereinthereport.

2.2Importance&

Awarenessof

AquaticAnimal

Welfare

Mostpeoplebelieveweshouldprotectthewelfareoffishjustlikewedoforotheranimalsweeat.

“Q4.Whichofthefollowingcomesclosesttoyourview?

Thewelfareoffishshouldbeprotectedtoagreater/alesser/the

sameextentthanthewelfareofotheranimalsweeat.”

Top-2%

(same/greaterextent)

13%65%21%87%

0%20%40%60%80%100%

lesserextentsameextentgreaterextent

9

Thisconvictiondriveswidespreadadvocacyforenactingstricterlegislationregardingthewelfareofaquaticanimals.

“Q7.Wouldyousupportoropposelegislationthat…”

requirestheuseofbestpracticesandthelatestsciencetomeet

thewelfareneedsoffarmedaquaticanimals?

guaranteeshighwelfareduringthetransportoflivecrustaceans

(e.g.,crabs,lobsters)?

requiresfarmerstostun(makeunconscious)aquaticanimals

beforeslaughter?

prohibitsfarmersfromfeedingfarmedfishwithwild-caughtfish

thatcouldotherwisebeeatenbyhumans?

prohibitstheintroductionofnewcarnivorousspeciesinto

farming,becausefeedingtheminvolvestheunsustainableuse

ofresources?

Top-2%

(moderately/strongly

support)

86%

79%

81%

73%

78%

1%11%

3%14%

2%4%13%

5%4%18%

4%2%17%

56%

45%

50%

28%

28%

28%

24%

54%

53%

32%

0%100%

uIdon’tknowuStronglyopposeuModeratelyopposeaModeratelysupportuStronglysupport

10

However,themajorityofcitizensharbortheopinionthatlivesalesofaquaticanimalstoconsumersshouldbeallowedtocontinue.

“Q8.Aquaticanimalsaresometimessoldalivetothefinalconsumer.[…]Pleaseindicatewhichstatementyouagreewithregardingthelivesaleofthefollowingaquaticanimalstoconsumers.”

Fish

Lobsters

Crabs

Mussels

1%8%

3%8%

2%11%

4%16%

57%

62%

59%

54%

33%

27%

29%

27%

0%20%40%60%80%100%

uIdon'tknowuIdon'tcareaboutthisissueuItshouldbeallowedtocontinueuItshouldbebanned

11

Finally,citizensalsoexpectpublicfundstobeallocatedtransparently,prioritizingfarmsthatupholdhighanimalwelfareandsustainabilitystandards.

“Q9.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewitheachofthefollowingstatements?

Whenpublicmoneyisusedtofundaquaculture…”

thereshouldbeapublicrecordexplaining

howthemoneyisused.

themoneyshouldonlysupportfarmsthat

ensurehighanimalwelfare.

themoneyshouldonlysupportfarmsthatare

sustainable.

1%7%

2%14%

1%10%

52%

53%

55%

39%

29%

33%

Top-2%

(tendto/strongly

agree)

91%

82%

88%

0%100%

uDon'tknowStronglydisagreeuTendtodisagreeuTendtoagreeuStronglyagree

12

Thereisquitegoodreportedawarenessregardingfishfarmingpractices,with50%indicatingfamiliaritywith3-5statements,and34%reporting

awarenessof6-7statements.

“Q6.Belowyoucanfindsomestatementsconcerningfishfarming.Ineachcase,

pleaseindicatewhetheryouwereawareofthisinformationornot.”

Antibioticsarecommonlyusedinfishfarming

Farmingsystemstypicallydon’tallowfishtoexhibitalloftheirnaturalbehaviours

Mostfarmedfisharenotstunned(made

unconscious)beforeslaughter

Wild-caughtfishareacommoningredientin

feedsgiventofarmedfish

Fishusuallyspendbetween2and5yearsgrowingonfarms

The%offishthatdieduringrearingonfarmsis

muchhigherthanthatoffarmedlandanimals

Mostfarmedsalmonaredeafduetointensive

breedingpractices

0%20%40%60%80%100%

27%

42%

34%

36%

32%

33%

46%

68%

66%

58%

64%

54%

67%

73%

Totalawareness

score(/7)

avg.2.8

High(6-7)

Medium(3-5)

Low(0-2)

34%

50%

16%

No,IhavenotheardthisbeforeYes,Ialreadyknewthis

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2.3Consumption

Habits&Behaviour

AlmosthalfoftheChinesepopulationidentifiesasmeateaters...

Meateater/omnivoreFlexitarian

Reducitarian

Vegetarian Dairy-freePescetarian

Vegan

Other

Idonotdescribemydietasanyofthese

“Q10.Whichofthefollowingtermsdoyouusetodescribeyourdiet?”

36%

6%

14%

14%

15%

4%

6%

5%

0%

15

…andhalfofChinesecitizensconsumefishatleastonceaweek.

“Q11.Roughlyhowoften,ifatall,doyou…?”

eatfish?

buyfishforconsumption?

39%

39%

50%

47%

10%

14%

0%100%

uLessthanoncemonth/NeveruAtleastonceamonthuAtleastonceaweek

16

Consumersprimarilyprioritizefactorssuchasfreshnessandqualitywhenselectingfish.Additionally,68%ofconsumersalsotakeintoaccount

welfare-relatedconsiderations.

“Q12.Towhatextent,ifatall,doeseachofthefollowingthingshave

animpactonyourchoiceofwhichfishyoubuy?”

Top-2%

(some/greatimpact)

ThefreshnessofthefishThequalityofthefish

ThecostTheamountofbycatchinvolvedinthefishingprocess WhetherthefishwasfarmedorcaughtinthewildWhetherthespeciesisbeingoverfished

ThewelfareofthefishTheenvironmentalimpactofthefishingorfarmingmethod

ThegeographicallocationwherethefishwasfarmedorcaughtTheworkingconditionsofpeoplecatching/processingthefishThebrand

01%12%

11%13%

0%20%

2%4%19%

0%17%

1%4%21%

2%6%24%

1%19%

1%6%20%

0%6%21%

1%9%19%

42%

43%

55%

48%

51%

47%

50%

50%

51%

52%

49%

44%

42%

22%

28%

29%

27%

18%

28%

22%

21%

22%

86%85%77%76%79%74%68%77%73%73%71%

Don’tknowHasnoimpactHaslittleimpactHassomeimpactHasagreatimpact

17

Thewillingnesstopayforhigherwelfarefishproductsisquitehigh:96%wouldliketobuyhigherwelfarefishproducts,withmorethan1outof4willingtopayasignificantpremium.

“Q13.Whichofthefollowingbestdescribesyourpreferenceswhenitcomestobuyinghigherwelfarefishproducts?”

Iwouldnotpayanyextraforhigherwelfareproducts

Iwouldliketobuyhigherwelfareproducts,butwouldnotbeabletopayanyextra

4%11%

29%

56%

Iwouldliketobuyhigherwelfare

products,andwouldpay

considerablymoreforthesethanalowerwelfareoption

Iwouldliketobuythehigherwelfareproducts,butwould

onlypayalittleextraforthesethanalowerwelfareoption

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Consumersrecognizenumerousbenefitsinoptingforhigherwelfarefishproducts,includingthesafetyandfreshnessofthefood.

“Q14.What,ifanything,doyouthinkarethebenefitsfor

youofchoosing‘higherwelfare’fishproducts?”

24%

Theproductisofahighquality

Knowingthatthefishwastreatedwellthrouhoutitslife

53%

33%

Knowingthatthefishwascaughtorfarmedinasustainableway

46%

53%

BettertasteTheproductissafetoconsume

46%

44%

BetterfreshnessAmorenutritiousproductOther

Noneofthese

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2.4Welfare

Labelling

Chinesecitizensseemtoassociateaquaticanimalwelfareconsiderationswithsustainabilitylabels.

“Q16.Inyouropinion,whichofthefollowing,ifany,doyouthinktheterm

“Sustainable”onafishproducttellsyouaboutthatproduct?”

0%20%40%60%80%100%

Ifthefishwasfarmed,itcamefromafarmthatminimiseditspollutionoftheenvironment

Thefarmingsystemusedinproductionisenergyandresourceefficient

Ifthefishwaswild-caught,stepsweretakentoavoidbycatch

Ifthefishwasfarmed,itwaskeptinconditionsthatallowedittoexhibitallnaturalbehaviours

Thespeciesoffishisnotcurrentlyoverfished

Thefishwaskilledquicklyandpainlessly

Thepeopleinvolvedincatchingandpackingtheproductenjoyedgoodworkingconditionsandpay

Ifthefishwasfarmedandgivenfeedcontainingwild-caughtfish,suchfeedwasnotfromanoverfishedpopulation

27%

26%

30%

29%

32%

42%

34%

33%

68%

69%

64%

64%

65%

59%

50%

61%

8%

6%

6%

6%

4%

5%

5%

5%

Don’tknowDoesn’tmeanDoesmean

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Theyalsoshowopennesstohavinginformationaboutfishfarmingpracticesonthelabelsoffishproducts.

“Q15.Wouldyouliketoseeinformationaboutthewayinwhichthefishwas