Financing and Marketing Management

Unit 18 - Domestic Fish Marketing in India

18.2. Marketing of fish and fishery products
Fishery is a state subject under the Constitution of India but only a few states have a policy specifically aimed at fish marketing. The only legislation for fish marketing is the West Bengal Fish Dealer’s Licensing Order, 1975. The Act has a variety of legal procedures to control the process of supply of fish to other states from West Bengal. It was constituted as a welfare measure for the people of the state, with amendments from time to time till 1997. Every fish merchant has to get a license to conduct business by paying an annual fee. All the fish commission agents and wholesaler-cum-retailers are to be registered with the Directorate of Fisheries under this Order.
All state fisheries departments, state fish development corporations and apex fishermen cooperative societies have schemes to help fishermen to market their catch efficiently. The schemes include provision of vehicles for transporting fish from landing centres to markets, fish kiosks and marketing implements like insulated boxes, utensils, dressing knives, etc. Several organizations have been set up at the national level to promote the fisheries sector and help the fishermen. These include organizations such as the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), the National Federation of Fishermen’s Cooperatives Ltd. (FISHCOPFED) and the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). NCDC’s fisheries related activities include creation of infrastructural facilities for fish marketing, ice plants, cold storages, retail outlets, etc. FISHCOPFED promotes fishery cooperatives and assists fishermen to market their produce efficiently through hygienic retail fish centres in metropolitan cities thereby providing remunerative prices to fish farmers. NFDB is promoting domestic fish marketing through modernization of wholesale markets, establishment of cold chains, popularization of hygienic retail outlets and technology upgradation.
Fish is not a notified commodity under the APMC Act of 1966, leading to the exploitation of fishermen by commission agents. Unlike in other agricultural commodities, where commission charges are paid by the traders, in fisheries, all commission charges are paid by fishermen. This reduces the share of fishermen in consumer’s rupee and makes fishing a non-viable venture. Suitable modifications need to be introduced in the Act to overcome this situation.
Though domestic fish marketing holds a huge potential, it is still highly unorganized and unregulated in India. It has long been neglected for various reasons and serious efforts have not been made on marketing of fishes as compared to its production. The improvement in fish marketing system and distribution would not only reduce the demand-supply gap of fishes across country, but would also contribute to food and nutritional security of a vast majority of resurgent middle income population.
Fish marketing starts with the auction system which is highly unorganized and unregulated in most states of India. There is a strict barrier for entry of any new professional into it. There is a need of regulation at this stage by the cooperative federations, as in Kerala, to ensure that fishermen get better price in the auctioning process. The transportation and storage of fishes need to be facilitated by creating and maintaining the needed infrastructures such as approach roads to landing centres / fishing villages / pond-river-reservoir sites from the main markets, establishing cold storages at major collection points, ice factories, etc. Lack of price information among the fishermen is the major reason for realizing lower share in consumer rupee, apart from the presence of several middlemen in the supply chain. Hence, efforts must be made to convey the prices prevailing at the nearby fish markets for various species daily through appropriate media. The hygienic conditions of fish markets should be improved tremendously not only to attract consumers to the markets but also to instill confidence among buyers to consume fish, which is regarded as a healthy food among animal products.