Fish trade and distribution from Vanuatu’s community-based fisheries

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries across the Pacific, particularly in Vanuatu, are multi-species, multi-geared, and span multiple coastal habitats. This diversity and variability extends into associated trade and distribution systems that move fish from relatively few landing sites to broad consumer bases in rural and urban areas. However, little is known about the domestic trade of fish at a national scale, as fish move through connected informal economies that are made up of networks of community and market actors. To help address this gap, this study maps the structure and function of the market systems that coastal fisheries in Vanuatu feed into, and does so by characterizing dimensions of supply, trade and distribution dynamics, and market organization. A framework for mapping fish trade networks is proposed and applied to understand dynamics and variability in the way fish transit. The study sheds light on key areas including the spatial and temporal variation in the distribution of different types of fish, and the considerable dynamism of the fish market system in relation to disruptions. Harnessing domestic trade stands to improve sustainable management, considering its driving role behind fishing as well as people’s access to fish. A baseline understanding of trade and distribution can critically support fisheries management authorities to achieve their ambitions to more effectively respond to challenges in improving production, fish storage, and connectivity between fishers and consumers. • Vanuatu’s fish trade is largely unregulated and driven by dynamic, informal networks of fishers, traders and consumers. • Vanuatu’s fish trade occurs across three distinct but connected market hubs; a central, southern, and outer islands hub. • Consumers influence market functioning, with differentiation in trade patterns by fish type reflecting consumer preference. • Inshore and reef fish are mostly traded rurally, while trade of deep-bottom/pelagic fish extends to urban markets. • Traders are key fish distribution enablers, and influential in determining governance and resilience of fish trade systems.