Factors Affecting Consumer Preferences for Fish in Taiwan

Stepwise logistic regression was used to explore consumption survey data to identify factors affecting consumer preference for fish in Taiwan. Most of the consumers responding prefer to eat fish, although the per capita consumption of fish was stagnant. Some demographic factors and consumer preference for food attributes were identified to affect preferences for fish. The older, white collar worker, those who believed in the religion of Daoism, those who paid more attention to food nutrition, to food taste, and/or to food quality had higher odds of preference for fish, while the unmarried, the female, those who believed in the religion of Yi-Guan-Daoism, those who lived in eastern, middle, or southern Taiwan had lower odds of preference for eating fish. The results implied that fish had an overall good perception in Taiwan. However, the fact that younger consumers and/or female consumers had lower odds in preference for fish implies a risk for future development. Further exploration of characteristics of food preference of these groups may be needed to illuminate information of marketing and product development for the fishery industry to further development.