Sinina Abas, Cosmas Munga, Joseph Rasowo, Esther Fondo

Abstract

Marketing involves all the tasks associated with delivering fish to consumers in their preferred state, including processing, packaging, transportation, storage, and related functions. Small-scale fishers are the primary producers of catfish in the Lower Tana Delta, using traditional fishing methods. Catfish from this area may reach customers through various channels, including direct sale to customers, wholesalers, and retailers in the local markets. However, the marketing process to these channels is not efficient and accessible, hence influencing the flow of catfish from producers to consumers. We administered questionnaires with closed-ended questions to collect data to investigate the market structure of the catfish fishery. Respondents included fishers (n = 46), and fish dealers (n = 10). We also conducted a survey to observe the areas where catfish marketing takes place. In the lower Tana Delta, catfish marketing is primarily local, with some sellers directly engaging customers in fishing villages (55.4%; n = 31). Others transport their products to more distant markets such as Malindi, Gongoni, and Matsangoni (37.5%; n = 21), while some opt to sell to dealers at wholesale prices (7.2%; n = 4). Dealers use public transportation to transport their stocks to the target markets. A medium-sized catfish piece is priced between USD 1-2 while a larger one fetches USD 2-3. Several factors hinder the effective marketing of catfish, including the unreliable supply of catfish due to overexploitation, resulting in price fluctuations where a standard price is absent. Varying prices across different markets and transportation issues for fishing villages along the River Tana further contribute to these challenges. There is need for establishment of standard pricing mechanism for catfish to mitigate price fluctuations and also to encourage value addition to catfish products as it can potentially open up opportunities for accessing higher-value markets and reduce the reliance on traditional, price-volatile markets.