Quantifying the accessibility of sustainable seafood in south-eastern Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Context Seafood is a nutritious source of protein. However, seafood production can have perverse environmental impacts. Seafood sustainability differs depending on species, origin, and production or fishing method. Australian consumers seeking sustainable seafood rely on independent sustainability guides and detailed labels at point of sale. Aims We aimed to determine consumer accessibility to sustainable seafood products in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. Methods We assessed the sustainability of 8497 seafood products from 1050 restaurants, supermarkets, and takeaway shops. Key results We determined the sustainability of 31.83% of products according to Australia’s GoodFish guide. Of these, 4.25% were classified as sustainable, 3.35% as ‘Eat Less’, and 24.23% as ‘Say No’. Australian farmed barramundi was the most common sustainable product and farmed Australian Atlantic salmon the most common ‘Say No’ product. We could not assess 68.17% of products because of a lack of information (26.73%) or the product was not included in the GoodFish guide (41.44%). Conclusions Inadequate labelling of species, origin, or production or fishing method reduces the accessibility of sustainable seafood in south-eastrn Queensland, Australia. Implications Improving labelling, especially origin information at point of sale is critical for changing consumer behaviour, which represents a significant hurdle to improving the sustainability of the seafood industry.