Societal perceptions of aquaculture: China's aquatic food market and strategic insights for Europe

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, European aquaculture has struggled to grow, leading to a heavy reliance on imported farmed aquatic food from low- and middle-income countries. Concerns about the environmental and social impact of these imports, along with safety issues, have drawn negative media attention that has hurt public trust in the industry. Although Europe has introduced rigorous certifications and stricter regulations to address these concerns, gaining full public confidence remains a challenge. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for European aquaculture products—particularly in emerging economies of Asia, where aquatic food is a dietary staple—which presents a promising opportunity for future growth. This thesis aims to provide strategic recommendations for European aquaculture to improve its societal acceptance and market positioning of its products, particularly in China. A multidisciplinary research approach was employed, combining a systematic scoping review and media analysis to explore societal perceptions, secondary data analysis to examine trade flows, key informant interviews to assess demand, text mining to evaluate consumer e-commerce satisfaction with salmon purchases, and sensory evaluation with willingness-to- pay studies to assess salmon's competitiveness. Findings revealed that media and scientific literature often oversimplify sustainability issues, leading to fragmented stakeholder understanding. Price, quality, safety, and country of origin play crucial roles in shaping consumption patterns, with Chinese consumers preferring imported salmon due to perceived higher standards. While European aquaculture benefits from its association with stringent safety and sustainability standards, there remains a considerable gap in sustainability awareness within the Chinese aquatic food market. The thesis recommends a twofold strategy: domestically, European aquaculture must prioritize societal acceptance by addressing sustainability concerns and increasing transparency. Internationally, in markets like China, European aquaculture producers should emphasize the quality, safety, and sustainability of their products to differentiate them from local alternatives. By adopting these strategies, European aquaculture can enhance its global leadership and competitiveness, with China’s critical influence on global aquatic food demand.