Pricing fish - A study of the economic and behavioural factors

Abstract

Fish marketing and its pricing are subjects ye seldom been seriously discussed in s is mainly because the species and that cater to the zkmxsii and aport ts are quite distinct. Fish production in a is from three sources - marine, inland fresh atcr bodies and coastal aquaculture. While the portion of fish that finds its way to the t"ia from the marine sector, coastal uaculture stocks are the backbone of the ici & ihd ii pbp~ctor. Fresh water fishes also command local and international market ( Krishpan 1997). But the new trade regime has had a tremendous impact and quality of seafood thai is country. This paper examines &e impacts from the angle of the availability of sbpply of fish for the domestic market, the ,quanlity of fish that is exporied as 4 proportion gof'fish'that is landed, the prices of fish, the eaMtngs from fishing as an avocation, the returns to investment in fishery and the estimated supply and demand projections as a tool to arrive at conclusions that would help determine the necessity of a price policy for fish. Fish being a highly perishable co&"odityl, price is not only a function of supply and demand but also of preservation. Therefore a price policy for fish has to be analysed from the pint of view of : I. nrrb~rreprteav.edzrdergaredd those .rhat are domcsrically sold in thc domestic market. 2. the supply position. Thc stocks that are destined for the domestic market and those that are export&. The relationship of supply that is ayailable to the domestic maw and the percentage of which is exported. 3. the wages thai accrue to the fish wmkm~ 4. the cost benefit of marind aquaculture operations. 5. theprojectionaof supply and demand for the future.