The importance of the first sale fish market (FSFM) in a sustainable fishery/aquaculture value chain PART 1 – All information comes from the long and rich knowledge and experience of the consultant on the fishery chain, particularly with first sale fishery market in different continents. The contained information is wide and adaptable to different situations as every first sale fishery market is a specific case and it adapts constantly to the local fishery situations in order to be efficient and effective in its implementation of activities. Never forget that the principle of a first sale fishery market is its economic results that must be positive and satisfactory for all stakeholders, including the First Sale Market enterprise itself. If the above is satisfied all the aquaculture and fishery value chain will have a great improvement and advantage for all private and public stakeholders.
Fish markets were known in antiquity in EU and other countries. They served as a public space where large numbers of fishery people trade and could gather and discuss current events and local politics. Because seafood is quick to spoil, fish markets are historically most often found in seaside towns. Once ice or other simple cooling methods became available, some were also established in large inland cities that had good trade network to the coast.
Since refrigeration and rapid transport became available in the 19th and 20th centuries, fish markets can technically be established at any place. However, because modern trade logistics in general has shifted away from marketplaces and towards retail outlets, such as supermarkets, most seafood worldwide is now sold to consumers through these venues, like most other foodstuffs. Consequently, most major fish markets now mainly deal with wholesale trade, and the existing major fish retail markets continue to operate as much for traditional reasons as for commercial ones. Both types of fish markets are often tourist attractions as well.
Nowadays, first sale fish markets can be private or public or mixed management and integrated with the port, landing sites and auction activities.
The First Sale Fishery Market is a critical point in the fishery/aquaculture value chain because it acts as the initial commercial transaction where fish and seafood products enter the market. Here’s why it is so important:
Price Formation & Market Transparency
The first sale market is where freshly caught or harvested fish and seafood are sold for the first time. This is a crucial stage for price discovery, as prices are determined based on real-time factors such as:
• Supply and demand: If there’s an oversupply of a species, prices drop; if supply is low, prices rise.
• Seasonal variations: Some fish species are more available in certain seasons, affecting prices.
• Quality and size of fish: Larger, higher-quality fish fetch better prices.
• Market conditions and consumer trends: If consumers demand more sustainably sourced seafood, prices for certified products may be higher.
• Different niche markets for fresh, frozen, pre-cooked, traditionally processed fishery product, canned and other preparation
Additionally, transparent pricing mechanisms—such as auctions or standardized contracts—help prevent exploitation of small-scale fishers and farmers, ensuring they receive a fair price for their products.
Revenue & Economic Stability for Producers
For fishermen and aquaculture farmers, the first sale market is their primary source of income. A well-functioning market ensures:
• Timely payments for their products, enabling them to reinvest in their operations.
• Predictability and financial security, allowing them to plan for future production cycles.
• Opportunities to negotiate better prices if they have high-quality products or are part of a cooperative or they participate to the auction.
For aquaculture operations, market stability is essential for maintaining cash flow, covering operational costs (e.g., feed, labour, electricity), and sustaining long-term growth.
Quality Control & Food Safety
Fish and seafood are highly perishable products, so maintaining high quality and safety standards at the first sale market is critical. This stage often involves:
• Inspection and grading based on freshness, size, and species.
• Proper handling practices, such as icing, refrigeration, or live transport for shellfish.
• Regulatory compliance, ensuring products meet national and international food safety standards (e.g., HACCP, EU food safety package regulations, FDA guidelines).
• Traceability systems, allowing buyers and consumers to track where and how seafood was caught or farmed. Respect of IUU standards.
Maintaining high-quality standards at this stage helps ensure higher market prices and reduces the risk of post-harvest losses.
Supply Chain Efficiency
The first sale market plays a logistical role in the seafood supply chain by ensuring efficient movement of products to:
• Processing plants (for filleting, freezing, or value-added products).
• Wholesalers and retailers (for fresh distribution).
• Cold storage
• Export markets (meeting global demand for seafood).
Depending the situation all the above can be in the same geographical location.
A well-organized market reduces:
• Time between harvest and sale, preserving product quality.
• Transportation and handling costs, benefiting both producers and buyers.
• Post-harvest losses due to spoilage or poor logistics.
For aquaculture, this efficiency means that harvested fish can quickly reach markets without affecting freshness or quality.
The efficiency increase if more stakeholders services are available in the same location of the FSFM.
Regulatory Compliance & Sustainability
The FSFM is the most interesting place and the first landing place where governments and regulatory agencies use to enforce:
• Catch limits and quotas for wild fisheries, preventing overfishing.
• Legal documentation requirements, ensuring seafood isn’t sourced from illegal, unregulated, or unreported (IUU) fishing.
• Certification programs like MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) for sustainable wild fish and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) for responsible fish farming.
• Sanitary and health regulations for export markets.
For aquaculture and fishery products, this means ensuring that farmed fish meet health, environmental, and sustainability standards before entering domestic or international markets.
Market Access for Small-Scale Producers
Many small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers lack direct access to major buyers, such as supermarkets or international exporters. The first sale market provides them with:
• A structured and fair selling environment, where they can sell their catch without relying on intermediaries, sometime using an auction system.
• Better bargaining power when selling collectively through cooperatives or associations and possibility to auction participation.
• Access to diverse buyers, including processors, wholesalers, and exporters, increasing their income potential.
For aquaculture, having a stable first sale market helps small-scale farmers secure steady demand for their products, encouraging investment in better farming practices and higher-quality production.
The First Sale Fishery Market is not just a place where seafood is sold—it’s a critical link in the entire value chain that determines pricing, quality, sustainability, and market access. A well-organized market benefits not only producers but also consumers by ensuring fresh, safe, and fairly traded seafood reaches the market efficiently.
The First Sale Fishery Market as a Business Hub
Beyond being a key point in the fishery and aquaculture value chain, the First Sale Fishery Market is also a business ecosystem that supports a wide range of economic activities. It provides income not just for fishers and farmers but also for fishery traders/buyers, market operators, workers, and service providers involved in the upstream and downstream fishery/aquaculture value chain.
A Business Opportunity for Fishery Traders & Market Operators
The first sale market is not just a transaction point—it is a business in itself for traders, wholesalers, and market operators. Some key business opportunities include:
• Wholesalers & middlemen: Buy in bulk from fishers and farmers, then resell to processors, exporters, restaurants, and retailers.
• Auction houses & market operators: Some first sale markets operate as auctions, where traders bid for the best seafood. This creates a competitive pricing environment.
• Export traders: Businesses specializing in exporting seafood rely on first sale markets for sourcing high-quality fish and shellfish.
These traders play a vital role in stabilizing supply and demand, ensuring that seafood moves efficiently to the right markets.
Employment for Workers & Technicians
First sale markets are major employment hubs that generate jobs for a wide range of workers, including:
• Fish handlers & packers: Responsible for unloading, sorting, grading, and packing seafood for transportation.
• Quality control inspectors, data collection and compliance with the national food safety fishery legal frameworks : Ensure that seafood meets national and international safety standards.
• Cold storage & logistics personnel: Manage storage facilities and refrigerated transport.
• Market administrators & accountants: Handle daily operations, transactions, and financial records.
• IT specialists & traceability experts: Implement digital tracking systems to ensure food safety and legal compliance.
According to the local situation and business possibilities, there are several other public and private activities inside and in the areas around the market.
These roles are essential for maintaining smooth operations and ensuring that the market runs efficiently. In summary, the First Sale Market is where value starts in the seafood industry, affecting everything from pricing and quality to sustainability and supply chain efficiency.
Some large integrated companies do not use the market or only occasionally depend on the market situation.
It is important to have an efficient First Sale Fishery Market (FSFM) throughout the fishery and aquaculture fishery production as the global fishery market is highly competitive. In order to To maximize the benefits derived from national fishery resources, an increased emphasis is placed on developing a highly efficient and modern post-harvest industry capable of adding value at all stages of the market chain, beginning with the First Sale Market. By creating a modern and competitive industry that excels in handling, processing, distribution, and marketing, both national and international consumers are assured of high-quality and safe fishery products. Fishery-dependent regions also reap greater economic benefits, leading to improved living standards, enhanced working conditions, and an overall boost in socio-economic development when a nation possesses a well-developed chain of First Sale Fishery Markets, which can be interconnected with other wholesale and retail markets.
The First Sale Fishery Market represents the initial post-harvest step after production, particularly for the artisanal fishery sector and small producers. As previously mentioned, the FSFM aims to ensure several key factors for developing the fishery value chain and enhancing the value added to fishery products, such as: food safety, economic returns for producers of fishery products, traceability, first note sale, IUU, and other required legal documents.
The importance of the first sale fish market (FSFM) in a sustainable fishery/aquaculture value chain PART 1
