CSERGE New Socio-economic Report for Pyramids of Life

Pyramids Project Overview

Marine ecosystems are under intense pressure, with most global fisheries fully or over-exploited. To move towards a sustainable future, we need approaches that work for both the marine environment and the people who rely on it.

To access the full Pyramids of Life page, click the link here to take you to the University of York page.

Aim of Project

The Pyramids of Life project uses a simple but powerful idea:

Ecological pyramids (showing how energy and species interact in marine food webs) can be paired with human behaviour pyramids (showing how people make decisions based on needs, values, and habits).

Looking at these systems together, the project identifies where fishing practices, markets, and consumer choices can shift in ways that improve sustainability, economic stability, and long-term resilience.

The project brings together leading expertise in:

Ecology & datasets – Cefas
Mathematics & marine science – University of York
Socio-economics & behaviour – University of East Anglia (CSERGE)

Watch the Introductory Pyramids video here:

CSERGE's Role

At CSERGE, our focus is on the human side of sustainability:

Why do consumers choose certain fish over others?
What social norms and habits shape buying behaviour?
How can we encourage choices that support both health and the environment?

Our research looks closely at the gap between what the UK could sustainably catch and eat, and what people actually buy. Understanding this behaviour is essential for designing policies, markets, and communication strategies that make sustainable options appealing, accessible, and socially supported.

The Challenge: The UK’s Narrow Seafood Palette

Fish is an important part of diets worldwide and in the UK, but 90% of fish eaten in the UK is now imported and mostly limited to five species: prawns, cod, haddock, tuna, and salmon.

Meanwhile, locally caught small oily fish like mackerel, herring, and Cornish sardine are mainly exported, leading to a loss of valuable nutrients such as omega-3, vitamin B12, and vitamin D from UK consumer diets.

This growing gap between imports and exports increases the carbon footprint of buying fish and undermines food security. Research shows that eating a wider variety of fish, especially local species, supports both nutrition and the resilience of fisheries. However, UK fish consumption averages just 145 grams per week- half the recommended amount- and has dropped by 25% in the past decade.

Rising concerns about overfishing have led to more certification schemes, but their impact is mixed. Supporting UK consumers to diversify their fish choices can improve health, help local fisheries, and reduce environmental impact.

Watch the Pyramids video on Seafood Consumption here:

Socio-economic Report

This report summarises the latest research on fish consumption in the UK, drawing on focus groups with university students and the general population, a national survey of around 3,000 respondents, and statistical analysis of supermarket data, validated with UK Living Costs and Food Survey statistics.

Key Findings

The latest report for the project explores UK fish consumption showing that:

1. UK’s fish consumers’ tastes have changed over the last 50 years with 80% of fish consumed being from one of the Big Five: tuna, salmon, cod, haddock and prawns

2. 40% of consumers say they would be willing to switch to different fish species if they are made available to them although this varies across UK regions

3. The majority of respondents consider certain features important; the format of the fish product with fresh fillets favoured and local origin. Moreover respondents are willing to pay a price premium of around £4.00 per portion to eat fish caught in the UK compared to overseas (outside Europe) sourced fish and a similar premium to eat fresh fillets compared to fish cake products.

Once available, the link to the Full Report will be accessible here

Once available, the link the Executive Summary will be accessible here

Meet the Authors

Silvia Ferrini - Principal Investiagor (s.ferrini@uea.ac.uk)
Gaetano Grilli - Co-investigator (g.grilli@uea.ac.uk)
Rosalind Bark - Co-investigator (r.bark@uea.ac.uk)
Ellen McHarg - PhD Student (e.mcharg@uea.ac.uk)
Laura Bailey - Temporary Research Associate (laura.bailey@uea.ac.uk)

Outreach Materials

As part of our outreach and dissemination plan, we have also been carrying out student engagement activities.

We produced a Student Guide, accessible here:

Alongside a FISHTHATFEED Challenge (active until the 17th December 2025), details here