This study aims to look at the change in consumer awareness and behavior after Japan’s 2013 nuclear power plant’s radioactive water leakage and draw implications about them. Findings show that 81% of respondents decreased their consumption of fishery products after the nuclear incident, and kept on showing avoidance of imported fishery products including those from Japan. Also it showed that consumers more importantly considered safety when buying imported fishery products after the nuclear incident. The most common channel of receiving radioactivity safety information on fishery products were TV and online. However, the main reason for decreasing the consumption of fishery products was founded to be based on the inaccuracy of the information provided. However, many people said that they will increase their consumption of all fishery products if provided with accurate radioactivity information. Therefore, if accurate radioactivity information were to be spread effectively to the public, positive consumption rates of fishery products can be shown in the future. The inaccuracy of radioactivity safety information caused the rapid decrease of fishery products consumption in 2013 to be amplified. Therefore, this study showed the importance of the delivery of rapid, accurate and consistent information to consumers.

• 강종호(한국해양수산개발원 수산연구본부) | Jong-Ho Kang Corresponding author