Consumer Awareness on Sustainable Seafood in Hong Kong’s Supermarkets: Current Status and Potential Drivers

Globally, sustainable seafood has become an important marketing means to promote sustainable fisheries practices. To support its production, however, characterising the consumer market, such as the demand, awareness and identification of sustainable products, is essential. This study investigated the current status of sustainable seafood and consumer awareness in Hong Kong, a city with one of the highest levels of per capita seafood consumption in the world, using the framework of Cognitive-Behavioural Theory. By conducting market surveys across 18 supermarkets using a stratified and convenience sampling approach, as well as face-to-face questionnaires (n = 415) to assess consumer traits, we found that the availability of sustainable seafood was highly polarised, with a complete absence of ecolabelled seafood in low-end supermarkets and only limited availability (~17% in proportion) in mid- and high-end supermarkets. In terms of price, ecolabelled fish products were more expensive than those without certification labels, but ecolabelled molluscan products were cheaper. Consumer cognition, attitudes, and behaviours towards sustainable seafood varied with supermarket grade, with sustainable products being more aware of and accepted in high-end supermarkets than in other supermarkets. Both younger age and higher education were key demographic factors enhancing the cognition level on sustainable seafood. This research contributes a transferable framework for assessing sustainable consumption in high-density urban markets and identifies retailer-driven information barriers as a key constraint. We propose targeted strategies, including visual nudging and enhancing information transparency, to promote responsible consumption.