The “Kapj rá!” (Catch it!) communication and promotional campaign, supported by the Hungarian Fisheries Operational Programme (HFOP), has been a true success story, achieving visible results. As a result of this project aimed at increasing fish consumption in Hungary, the annual average domestic fish consumption increased by twenty percent by the end of the 2014-2020 European Union funding cycle.
Increasing fish consumption in Hungary is a particularly important issue, as various fish species are excellent sources of high-quality proteins, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals, forming the basis of a healthy diet. They also reduce the risk of heart attack at an individual level, may help a lot in combating stress, and prevent cardiovascular diseases. Although fish consumption in Hungary has been slowly increasing, this trend has been mainly concentrated around the Christmas period and still remained well below the European Union average. Therefore, the Agrármarketing Centrum Nonprofit Ltd. launched its communication and promotional campaign under the name “Kapj rá!” (Catch it!). The project, part of the Hungarian Fisheries Operational Programme (HFOP), ran from 2016 to 2023 and was co-financed by the European Union’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Hungarian state.
The campaign’s main goal was to popularize fish consumption in Hungary and achieve visible results, i.e., an increase in the annual average domestic fish consumption. It also focused on improving the sector’s image, the knowledge base related to fisheries and aquaculture, and making the products more popular and recognized. This was partly achieved through informational materials uploaded to the www.kapjra.hu website, which summarizes the entire content of the “Kapj rá!” (Catch it!) campaign. The website offers practical advice, such as recipe collections and culinary technology articles, providing a comprehensive picture and usable knowledge about the world of fish gastronomy. Additionally, four commercials with similar themes were produced during the promotional period.
Over the seven-year project, in addition to digitally accessible professional content, numerous other tools were used to encourage an increase in fish consumption. Small and large events were organized with show kitchens, children’s activities, educational publications, and roadshows held in fifty-three locations across the country. A large-scale media campaign supported the promotion, and advertisements highlighted the health benefits and advantages of consuming freshwater fish. The campaign simultaneously drew attention to the importance of a healthy lifestyle and conscious nutrition while showcasing the diversity and varied flavours of fish dishes to consumers.
The campaign and awareness-raising program concluded with measurable successes: by the end of the cycle, Hungarians ate at least twenty percent more fish. While the 2015 data showed that annual fish consumption per capita barely exceeded five kilograms, by 2023, nearly seven kilograms of fish were on the plates of Hungarians.
The program was implemented with European Union funding under the HFOP-5.3.2-2016-2017-00001 project.
More details can be found in the supported project search:Details
