Abstract/Summary

This study investigates the domestic freshwater fish trade in Cambodia, focusing on the marketing chain from the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) to retail markets in Phnom Penh. As one of Cambodia’s most traded commodities, freshwater fish play a vital role in rural livelihoods and food security. The research examines market structures, transaction dynamics, and key constraints affecting trade efficiency. Based on interviews with fishers, traders, distributors, and retailers, as well as direct observation of trade activities, the study reveals a tightly linked credit-dependent system. Fishers are often indebted to traders, who in turn rely on distributors for financing, creating limited bargaining power and opaque pricing mechanisms. Marketing costs—including spoilage, transportation, ice, and distribution fees—average USD308 per tonne, with fishers receiving only 25–35 percent of the final retail price. The study identifies monopolistic control of distribution centres, consumer misconceptions about ice use, and informal fees as major inefficiencies. Policy recommendations include licensing additional distribution centres, public education campaigns on fish freshness, technical research on spoilage, and improved transparency in credit systems. These measures aim to enhance market efficiency, reduce costs, and improve incomes for fishers and other stakeholders in Cambodia’s fisheries sector.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64202/wp.29.200311