EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG GENERATION Y

Insatiable appetite for seafood has resulted in overfishing, depletion of fish stocks and damaged of our oceans globally. Malaysians are among the world's top seafood consumers and ranked as the sixth biggest consumer of seafood with an average consumption of 56.5 kg per capita. Despite consuming a large amount of seafood, Malaysian awareness towards sustainable seafood consumption is still low. This study contributes to the scare empirical literature on this subject by analyzing Generation Y's response towards sustainable seafood. More specifically, this study examines; (1) the level of sustainable seafood awareness, (2) seafood purchase behavior and (3) factors influencing sustainable seafood purchase. This study uses a self-administered survey. The survey was conducted on students in two undergraduate classes at a public university in Malaysia. The participation of this study is on voluntary basis. The results of this study revealed that the majority of the respondents are aware of sustainable seafood consumption. In terms of seafood purchase, among others Generation Y considers several issues such as price, seafood sustainability, source of seafood and fishing methods. This study also revealed that factors such as seafood labelling, knowledgeable staff, recognizable logos, availability of recipes and tips as well as more affordable green options could make it easier for consumer to practice sustainable seafood consumption. The findings are particularly useful for practitioners and policy makers planning for sustainable seafood management towards achieving the sustainable development agenda for food security