In the post-COVID-19, the food industry is rapidly reshaping its market structure toward online distribution. Rapid delivery system driven by large distribution platforms has ushered in an era of online distribution of fresh seafood that was previously limited. This study surveyed 1,000 consumers nationwide to determine their online seafood purchasing behaviors. The research methodology used factor analysis of consumer lifestyle and Heckman’s ordered probit sample-selection model. The main results of the analysis are as follows. First, quality, freshness, selling price, product reviews from other buyers, and convenience are particularly important considerations when consumers purchase seafood from online shopping. Second, online retailers and the government must prepare measures to expand seafood consumption by considering household characteristics and consumer lifestyles. Third, it was analyzed that consumers trust the quality and safety of seafood distributed online platforms. It is not possible to provide purchase incentives to consumers who consider value consumption important, so improvement measures are needed. The results of this study are expected to provide implications on consumer preferences to online platforms, seafood companies, and producers, and can be used to establish future marketing strategies.

This study analyzed the determinants that affect the purchase of ready-to-cook seafood products using the “Consumer Attitude Survey on Processed Foods” from 2018 to 2021. Dietary lifestyle, food awareness and preference survey questions were categorized, and factors affecting the purchase probability of ready-to-cook seafood were identified through a binomial logit model. The main research findings are as follows. First, consumers had higher preference for quality, safety, and new taste factors than health and price factors when purchasing HMR (Home Meal Replacement). Second, through binomial logit model analysis, the probability of purchasing ready-to-cook seafood products was low in the group pursuing taste and economy. On the other hand, the purchase probability was high in the group seeking convenience. Third, the purchase probability of ready-to-cook seafood products was higher in households with two or more persons than in single-person households. These results suggest that differentiated product development and marketing strategies should be needed for each consumer groups in the seafood convenience food market

The purpose of this study is to analyze the structure, status and economic ripple effects of the fisheries processing industry in Korea using interindustry analysis. Five input-output tables published over the past twenty years have been reclassified with a focus on the fisheries processing sector. Through these multi-period tables, we analyzed changes in the inducing effects in production, value added and employment as well as the backward-forward linkage effects. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the industrial scale of the fisheries processing industry is very small compared to other food manufacturing industries. The backward linkage effect of the fisheries processing industry was greater than that of other industries, but the forward linkage effect was rather low. This means that the fisheries processing industry can be greatly affected by industrial depression of the downstream industries such as fishery and aquaculture. Production and employment-inducing effects of the fisheries processing industry have shown a decreasing trend in recent years. This reflects the reality that intermediate inputs are gradually being replaced by imports from domestic production due to the expansion of market opening and the depletion of fishery resource. In the future, it is necessary to prepare a strategy to increase the value-added productivity of the fisheries processing sector and foster it as an export industry.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether asymmetric price transmission exists in the distribution stage of farmed olive flounder market. For the analysis, time series data were used for the producer prices of Jeju and Wando, and the wholesale prices of Incheon, Hanam and Busan. Through the Granger causality test, the causal relationship from the producer price to the wholesale price was derived and the asymmetric price transmission was analyzed using the autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL). As a result of the analysis, it was found that there is a phenomenon of ‘positive asymmetric price transmission’ from the producer price to the wholesale price. This result can be one evidence that excess profits are received in the intermediate distribution stage, and can be said to be a result showing the incompleteness and inefficiency of the distribution structure of the farmed olive flounder. In the future, it is required to establish an information-sharing system in all stages of production, distribution, and consumption that can create a competitive environment for distribution participants and resolve information asymmetry. Also, it is necessary to review the distribution center specializing in live fish from the viewpoint of the establishment of new distribution channels and sales diversification strategy under the rapidly changing fisheries environment.

This study is aimed at finding policy directions for Korean fisheries and fishing villages by using Delphi method for fisheries experts. Fisheries experts have highly evaluated the achievements of fostering aquaculture industry, seafood export support measures, and natural disasters relief and recovery arrangements among the policies promoted as so far. And it was recognized that policies such as fishery resources management, creation and recovery of fishery resources, improvement hygiene and seafood safety, and provision young fishermen with training and capacity building will be important. Future megatrends, for example changes in food consumption pattern, climate change, and demographic structure changes are expected to have a significant impact on fisheries and fishing villages. The Delphi survey indicates that the most important policy objective is to secure a stable fisheries production. In other words, fisheries policy in the future should be aimed at suppling sustainable seafood for popular consumption. Finding strategies and action plans that can achieve this goal will be an important policy issue. In conclusion, it is necessary that a number of fundamental researches carry out in Korea, which can lead to finding out a multifunctionality of fisheries and fishing village. In addition, it is important to expand the scope of fisheries policy, which can consider not only the fisheries producers but also seafood consumer’s and young fishermen perspectives. Furthermore, it recommends that fishery policy needs to include fishery related industry as well as application of 4th industrial revolution technology to fishery

The purpose of this study is to identify problems and suggest improvements of estimating procedures and item of fisheries supply-demand statistics served as a basis for the fisheries supply-demand policies. Korea Rural Economic Institute(KREI) and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries(MOF) respectively publish the fisheries supply-demand statistics. But the reliability of data is low as the statistics of these two organizations are limited and show discrepancy in the numbers. It is therefore difficult to use them as the basic data for policies. Also, an accurate data aggregation is difficult due to following problems in the items of statistics. 1) Problems in estimating route sales and non-route sales of production, 2) adequacy of fishery product yield rate compared to raw material in the fisheries import/export sector, 3) selection of target companies for understand stocks and survey scope of fish species, 4) applying‘0’to non-edible product demand etc. In order to develop the fisheries industry as a future growth industry, it is necessary to establish the accurate fisheries supply-demand policy as the instability of fisheries supply and demand is increasing. To do this, statistical reliability has to be improved. The improvements proposed in this study should be implemented considering urgency. First of all, an exhaustive analysis of stock statistics and conversion rates of raw material yield in the fisheries import/export sector should be conducted. In the medium term and the long term, transferring production statistics to MOF and surveys on the use demand of non-food product and the level of reduced and discarded seafood products should be carried out in consecutive order.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of outlook project for olive flounder, from the view point of price stabilization, market efficiency, and causality of the prices in different distribution channels. Analytical results show that the volatility of producer price of olive flounder has been significantly mitigated after the implementation of the outlook project. The market efficiency is estimated to be improved after implementing the outlook project although there is an inefficiency on price determination process in some producing regions. The causality test on the producer and wholesale price shows that producing stage leads the wholesale stage in forming the prices. It is found that Jeju leads the flounder price on the size of 500g and 2kg, while Wando leads the price of 1kg size. These estimation result as whole indicate that outlook project for olive flounder has accomplished the intended goals.

This study is aimed to present measures for stable supply of fishmeal and to develop fish farming into a food industry and an export industry. The study analyzed current domestic and international supply and demand for fishmeal and suggested future prospects. The results of the study suggested the basic directions for the stable supply of fishmeal in Korea as follows: first, stable securing of fishmeal importers and establishment of the supply and demand monitoring system; second, policies to boost using of compound feeds and expansion of relevant fishmeal use; third, higher competitiveness of fishmeal and compound feeds through selective and intensive R&D investments. Based on the basic directions, the paper suggested implementation measures such as strengthening of cooperations with fishmeal suppliers abroad, expansion of overseas local market entrance, diversification of fishmeal trading countries, revision of relevant laws and polices on the fishmeal and feeds, organization of domestic fishmeal, promotion of group purchase, improvement of domestic fish meal quality, development of fish meal alternatives, etc.