The new study, commissioned by the Seafood Choices Alliance in partnership with Greenpeace, the Marine Conservation Society, WWF and the North Sea Foundation, reveals that 86% of consumers would prefer to buy seafood that is labelled as environmentally responsible. Consumers say that reassurance is more important than price, and 40% are willing to pay 5-10% more for seafood identified as eco-friendly, the study from the nonprofit trade association shows.

Conducted in the UK, Germany and Spain, the study also found an emerging activism for protecting the ocean through the choices that seafood buyers make: 95% of consumers and 85% of seafood professionals say they want more information about how to buy sustainable seafood.

"These findings highlight the leading role that European seafood professionals and consumers are playing to preserve the ocean through the choices they bring to the dinner table," said Michael Boots, director of the Seafood Choices Alliance, which launched its European program earlier this year after being founded in the United States in 2001. "By working with the industry to help source ocean-friendly seafood, we will ensure a lasting supply that is good for the ocean, good for business, and good for consumers."

The study also highlighted great concern among Europeans about the state of the oceans, with 88% of seafood professionals and 85% of consumers saying they were quite or very concerned. Knowledge of specific threats to the ocean environment is also high, with 71% of professionals aware of overfishing and more than half of consumers acknowledging bycatch and overfishing.

"Seafood retailers like ASDA and others involved in buying and selling unsustainable seafood ignore this
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Contact: Julia Roberson
jroberson@seaweb.org
33-67-651-4808
SeaWeb
14-Dec-2005