Table 4 Survey measures and response scales

Purchasing frequency

 Fish/Salmon/Seabass/Seabream

Please indicate how often you purchase the following fish and fish species (fresh, frozen, canned, smoked, ready to eat, etc.; this includes at home): (before the Covid-19 emergency)

7-point scale, ranging from “Never” (0) to “Almost every day” (6)

Beliefs concerning wild fish

(Adapted from Claret et al. 2014 and Hall & Amberg 2013)

To what extent do you disagree/agree with the following statements?

7-point scale, ranging from “Totally disagree” (1) to “Totally agree” (7)

Safety

 Safety

Wild fish are safer than farmed fish

 Marine pollution

Wild fish are affected more by marine pollution than farmed fish (R)

 Antibiotics

Wild fish contain more antibiotics than farmed fish (R)

 Heavy metals

Wild fish contain more heavy metals than farmed fish (R)

 Parasites

Wild fish are affected more by parasites than farmed fish

 Healthy animal diet

Wild fish have a healthier diet than farmed fish

 Healthiness

Wild fish are healthier than farmed fish

Quality

 Quality

Wild fish are of better quality than farmed fish

 Freshness

Wild fish are fresher than farmed fish

 Nutritional values

Wild fish are more nutritious than farmed fish

 Fat

Wild fish are more fatty than farmed fish

 Flavor

Wild fish taste better than farmed fish

 Firmness

Wild fish are firmer than farmed fish

Control

 Control

Wild fish are more controlled than farmed fish

 Handling

Wild fish are handled more than farmed fish (R)

 Artificiality

Wild fish are more artificial than farmed fish (R)

 Guarantee

Wild fish provide more guarantees than farmed fish

Moment of purchase

 Availability of wild fish

Wild fish are easier to find than farmed fish

 Price

Wild fish are cheaper than farmed fish

 Affordability of farmed fish

Fish farming provides a consistent, affordable product (R)

 Availability of farmed fish

Farm raised fish provide a healthy food for people who cannot afford wild fish

Subjective knowledge

(Claret et al. 2014; Perez Cueto Eulert et al. 2011; Verbeke et al. 2007a, b, c)

To what extent do you disagree/agree with the following statements?

7-point scale, ranging from “Totally disagree” (1) to “Totally agree” (7)

I feel I know more about fish in general than the average person

I feel I know more about fish in general than my friends

I have a great deal of knowledge about how to purchase fish

I have a great deal of knowledge about how to evaluate the quality of wild and farmed fish

Objective knowledge

Please answer the following statements to the best of your ability

5-point scale, ranging from “False” (1) to “True” (5)

 Healthiness and quality

The Omega-3 content is higher in wild fish (F)

Wild fish tend to accumulate more fat than farmed fish (T)

Wild fish have a more constant nutritional composition than farmed fish (F)

 Safety and quality

The risk of the presence of microplastics is lower in farmed fish than in wild fish (T)

Farmed fish grow faster thanks to the use of antibiotics and hormones (F)

Wild fish are always safer than farmed fish because they do not contain any harmful substances for human health (F)

 Animal welfare

Farmed fish are treated in an unethical way in the near-death phases of their lives, and they suffer more than wild fish (F)

Farms are unhealthy places for fish because most of them become sick (F)

The living conditions of farmed fish have been improved thanks to the use of technological innovations (T)

 Attitudes toward eating fish

(Adapted from Perez Cueto Eulert et al. 2011; Verbeke et al. 2007a, b, c)

“Eating wild fish is…” / “Eating farmed fish is…”

7-point semantic differential scale

Unhealthy-Healthy

Not nutritious-Nutritious

Unfavorable-Favorable

Unethical-Ethical

Unsafe-Safe

Expensive-Cheap

 Purchase intentions

(Adapted from Banovic et al. 2019; Boase et al. 2019)

Please indicate your intention to purchase farmed/wild fish

7-point scale, ranging from “Totally disagree” (1) to “Totally agree” (7)

I am planning to purchase farmed fish in the near future

I am expecting to purchase farmed fish in the near future

I will try to purchase farmed fish in the near future