Evidence of Structural Change in Preferences for Seafood

The results from graphical and regression analyses of time-series data on seafood consumption and prices suggest that preferences for seafood have strengthened in response to medical evidence that seafood promotes nutrition and health. The graphical analysis reveals a trend of increased percapita consumption of seafood since the late 1960s despite concurrent increases in the relative price of seafood. The two-phase regression analyses of per capita consumption and of the relative price of seafood identified the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s as possible times of accelerated change in preferences. These results, which match those reported for consumption of poultry and red meats, have important implications for modeling derived demand inlandings markets, for estimating welfare, and for managing fishing effort and multiple uses offish stocks.