23 Apr Increased demand for seafood during Easter: what science says about sustainable consumption
The increase in demand for fish and seafood at this time of the year is well known, with species such as king mackerel, mussels, lobster and hake playing a leading role. Studies led by the SECOS Millennium Institute and Advanced Conservation Strategies show the keys to the consumption of these products in Chile, the preferences by region, the role of restaurants and the actions to move towards a more sustainable consumption of these resources.
With the arrival of Easter, many Chilean families choose to consume seafood products, an ever-present alternative in fresh and frozen markets. Restaurants, fishmongers and fairs are filled with customers looking for reineta, hake, conger eel, mussels, clams or lobster, reflecting a custom strongly rooted in the local culture. But how much fish and seafood is actually consumed in Chile today, what are the most preferred species, and what role do restaurants play in the sustainability of these foods?
These questions have been addressed by research from the Millennium Institute in Coastal Socio-Ecology (SECOS) and Advanced Conservation Strategies (ACS), which offer an updated and complementary overview of seafood consumption in Chile and the key role of restaurants, among other actors, in promoting more responsible practices with our marine resources.
How marine are we?
On average, fish is consumed 3.6 times a month and seafood 2.3 times a month in Chile, according to a survey of 1,000 people in nine regions of the country. The study, led by ACS and SECOS, also revealed that 90% of the consumption of these products takes place at home. The most consumed species at the national level are the reineta (41.5%) and hake (27%) in fish, and the chorito (33.5%) and the clam (16%) in shellfish.
“Knowing which species are consumed, how often and in which areas of the country allows us to better understand the links between culture, food and sustainability. This information is key to designing public policies and strategies that promote a more informed and responsible consumption of seafood products in Chile,” says Stefan Gelcich, an academic at the UC School of Biological Sciences and director of the SECOS Millennium Institute.
The analysis also considered the preferences according to the region: while the king mackerel dominates in the north and center of the country, in Biobío it is the common hake, while in Los Lagos the salmon gains ground. In seafood, loco is the leader in the north and chorito in the center-south. In Santiago, the clam is the star.
“In a country with such an extensive coastline as Chile, one would think that seafood consumption is high and diverse. But the data show that there is still a lot of room to grow, especially if we want to move towards a more sustainable diet that values both the origin and the diversity of what we eat,” says Gelcich. In this context, an analysis of these data regarding consumption preferences for blue foods in Chile, a category that includes all foods that come from aquatic bodies, whether marine, brackish or freshwater, is led by Felipe Torres, a doctoral student at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción.
“The first results of the study show that many people would like to increase their consumption of seafood products, especially as a replacement for meats such as beef or chicken,” says Torres, also from SECOS. We see greater homogeneity in current and desired preferences for fish, but in the case of seafood there is more diversity and differences between what is consumed and what would really be preferred,” he adds.
“The objective is to identify whether there is heterogeneity in fish and seafood consumption preferences, as well as to compare these patterns with other proteins, both animal and vegetable. We also seek to see if people are consuming what they really want to consume, or if there is a gap between the current and the ideal,” Torres explains.
The role of restaurants in the chain
But not all fish is cooked at home. In fact, part of the consumption occurs in restaurants, where the choice of the menu not only responds to the taste of the diners, but also to the decisions of chefs and owners who choose which species to include, where to buy them and what criteria to prioritize.
In this context, another study by SECOS and ACS explored the perceptions and decisions of restaurant owners and chefs in Santiago and Valparaíso, two areas that concentrate about 42% of the country’s population. The research, which combined interviews, menu analysis and choice experiments, revealed that 90% of the seafood offered in restaurants comes from the Chilean coast, mainly reineta, hake, squid and octopus.
One of the most relevant findings is that, although there is interest on the part of restaurants in participating in traceability initiatives -which make it possible to know the origin, legality and extraction conditions of each species-, there are still significant challenges. The high cost of seafood products and the lack of explicit customer demand for sustainability are some of the barriers identified.
“It is very important to study the perception of restaurants, because it allows not only to see traceability and sustainability from the sciences or public policies, but also from those who are consuming and moving resources along the supply chain,” says Isidora Avila, ACS and SECOS researcher and co-author of the study.
In addition, the study indicates that restaurants that offer a greater diversity of seafood products tend to perceive more interest on the part of their customers in the origin and sustainability of what they consume. This opens the door to communication and marketing strategies that could encourage responsible consumption, especially during dates such as Easter.
Towards a more conscious consumption
Initiatives such as SERNAPESCA’s Blue Seal, which certifies the legal origin of seafood products, represent important steps towards greater transparency in the supply chain. In addition, Futuro Azul, a platform that provides detailed information on the condition of different marine species, their impact on the ecosystem, their nutritional value and health benefits. These tools are key to moving towards more informed and conscious consumption, and their impact can be further strengthened by actively involving all actors in the chain: from fishermen and intermediaries to restaurants and consumers.
“Chefs and restaurant owners can play a critical role in the design of traceability programs, particularly in issues that address health, freshness of products, sustainability, equity in production processes, among other aspects,” says Stefan Gelcich, director of SECOS.
This research contributes to a necessary conversation in our country: how to encourage responsible and sustainable consumption of seafood products, not only during Easter, but all year round.