Socio-economic and Environmental Aspects of Fish Consumption in Qatar

Abstract

After the blockade in 2017, Qatar has undergone an important development of shifting from full dependency on food imports to self-sufficiency in perishable foods. Qatar has launched a food security strategy 2018-2023; therefore, research studies on fish consumption becomes very important for the strategy. Studying fish consumption will help estimate local demand and hence identify the gap between production and imports. The study may also help decision makers to understand the socio-economic characteristics and attitudes of consumers, which assists in improving their satisfaction and regulating markets. The study’s results showed that fish production in Qatar meets all food security indicators. The study examined the differences in fish consumption among Qatar’s society, in relation with socioeconomic factors such as employment, education and health awareness and fish species. The study also found that half of Qataris are willing to consume “Tilapia”, an emerging freshwater species in Qatar produced as aquaculture product, which should help reduce the consumption pressure on species in high demand and preserve diversity.