Fish consumption behavior and fish farming attitude in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Abstract

This study aimed to explore fish consumption behavior and fish farming attitude of the Saudi households in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The survey was conducted in Sharurah town situated in Najran province. The data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire from 100 respondents residing in the province. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to see the significant and non-significant impact of the two variables. The results showed that majority (37%) of the respondents fell in the age group of 25–34 and majority (35%) of the respondents have high level of education i.e. up to university level. The results also depicted that majority (31%) of the people consume fish and were aware of the nutritional value of fish. However, majority (85%) of the respondents were not satisfied by the fish price. The results further indicated that none of the respondent was engaged in fish farming activity i.e. they had no fish farms at their homes. Furthermore, majority (83%) respondents had no intentions to start fish farming at their homes in future. The study concludes that fish consumption and preference is high in the study area and people prefer fish more than chicken and meat for consumption purposes because of their knowledge regarding the nutritional value of fish. However, the age and educational level have negative impact on the respondent’s opinion about fish price in the study area. The study recommends that proper policies should be formulated to educate people about fish farming (aquaponics) and its importance through fisheries extension services to enhance the interest of people in fish farming. Keywords: Fish consumption, Fish farming, Attitude, Intentions, Saudi Arabia, Aquaponics