Towards responsible seafood consumption choices: A review of communication tools on health, environmental, and social dimensions

Abstract

Background

Consumers face increasing complexity when making responsible seafood choices, as they must consider intersecting health, environmental, and social dimensions. Policymakers and stakeholders are increasingly engaged in improving how information about seafood is communicated and benefit from a clear understanding of the current communication landscape and its gaps.

Scope and approach

This scoping review identifies, categorizes, and discusses 40 tools, including websites, apps, and labels, following systematic searches on the search engine and app stores with the largest user share. Tools were assessed for media type, target audience, focus, specificity, personalization, output and external validation. A publicly accessible database of these tools is provided to support transparency and further development.

Key findings and conclusions

The findings reveal a predominance of single-dimension focus: tools focusing on the environmental sustainability of seafood species are largely developed by NGOs, while health-focused tools mostly stem from scientific institutions and private initiatives. Tools generally lack a comprehensive integration of multiple dimensions, which can contribute to consumer confusion. Future research should focus on collaborative frameworks shared by developers, policymakers, and researchers to create integrated, personalized tools that empower decision-making by consumers. Testing the behavioral impact of tools’ usage and developing self-validation frameworks can further improve the tools.

Significance and novelty

The review is the first to map and analyze the communication tools designed to support responsible seafood consumption. This study offers a comprehensive, multi-dimensional perspective and introduces an openly accessible online database of identified tools.