Washington, D.C., Oct 8, 2024 – Morning Consult and the Walton Family Foundation released a new poll for National Seafood Month highlighting the important role seafood and oceans play in America. Four out of five Americans (80%) agree that “if you care about our food supply, you should care about oceans and healthy ocean ecosystems.”

“You don’t have to live near the ocean to eat seafood or play a part in ensuring our oceans are healthy,” said Moira Mcdonald, director of the Walton Family Foundation’s Environment Program. “From middle America to the coasts, choosing sustainable seafood that prioritizes ocean health will help foster healthy communities and a healthy planet.”

The poll shows that promoting sustainable seafood and protecting the health of fish in oceans is top of mind for Americans.

“The ocean plays a critical part in our food security, and this poll shows that Americans understand that connection. People increasingly understand that taking care of nature is the key to taking care of people and communities too. Sustainable seafood is a great example of that mindset put into action,” Mcdonald said.

The survey by Morning Consult also found:

• A strong majority of adults (84%) believe that, because three billion people worldwide rely on seafood as their primary source of protein, it is important to “promote sustainable seafood and protect the health of fish in oceans.”  This issue has bipartisan consensus with 82% of Republicans, 92% of Democrats and 78% of independents agreeing on the same statement.

• Concern for the health of fish in oceans is driven by two factors: continued availability of seafood and ocean health more broadly. Broad majorities believe in the importance of food security in America (85%), the health of the oceans (83%) and the ability of the oceans to provide fish and seafood (80%). 
• Half of all respondents (51%) think the U.S. government is not doing enough to protect the health of fish in oceans. This dissatisfaction spans partisan lines and is rooted in a deeper concern for environmental health and food security; Democrats (56%) are more likely than Republicans (47%) and independents (49%) to think the government is not currently doing enough. 

Choosing sustainable seafood considers the balance between protecting the ocean ecosystem and producing the food needed for a growing population. This polling illustrates that Americans want to choose ocean-friendly practices so nature and people can thrive together.

About the Walton Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more, visit www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org.