Abstract:
The fishery sector contributes enormously to the development of different economies
worldwide and specifically to the people engaged in fishing business. However,
causations of fish landing prices and their contribution to the individual satisfaction
known as subjective wellbeing of fishers remain unknown. The current study
assessed the determinants of fish landing prices for subjective wellbeing of artisanal
fishers around Lake Victoria, Tanzania. The study specifically, (i) examined the
determination of fish landing price around Lake Victoria; (ii) examined the effects of
fish attributes on the landing price; and, (iii) analysed the effects of fish landing price
on the subjective wellbeing of artisanal fishers. The study was conducted in Mwanza
region and the cross-sectional research design was employed. Purposive sampling
was used to select two Districts, Sengerema and Buchosa. A total of six landing sites
were selected purposely because of being active in the landing activities and the sale
of landed fish. Proportionate sampling followed by simple random sampling
procedure was used to select 300 respondents from landing sites. Quantitative and
qualitative data were collected using a questionnaire, focus group discussion, and a
checklist for key informant interview. The collected data were analysed using
descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics were used to identify
methods of fish price determination. The results showed that, the most preferred
methods in some of the landing sites were formal negotiations with processors (8%),
consultation with other traders (73%), informal negotiations with buyers (78.3) and
Beach Management Unit (BMU) (21%). Hedonic price function was employed to examine factors influencing landing price. Hours spent from fishing location in the
lake to onshore landing sites showed a negative influence on landing price;
information on market price and experiences of fishers showed a positive influence
on landing price and were found to be statistically significant (P<0.05). The loglinear multiple regression model was employed to examine the effects of fish
attributes on the landing price. The results showed that fish freshness for fish landed
at the island, the quantity landed at onshore island market, preserved fish as well as
fish size, weight, and freshness at mainland landing ground were statistically
significant attributes (P<0.05). The ordered logistic regression was employed to make
inferences with respect to effects of fish landing price on the subjective wellbeing of
fishers. The results showed that fish landing price was statistically significant
(P<0.05). This study concluded that there are established ways of determining fish prices around Lake Victoria, and these are influenced by monopolistic behaviour of
middlemen during price setting. Also, this study concluded that, subjective wellbeing
of fishers is influenced by the fish landing price. It is recommended that, the Ministry
of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries should facilitate the dissemination of market
price information for a minimum selling price per fish quality standards, improving
artisanal fishers‟ capability on pricing negotiation via BMU. Artisanal fishers are
recommended to use improved preservation methods to maintain fish quality, and use
of efficient fishing vessels that reduce transportation time. Further, policies and
actions recommended on fish price should be set in accordance with the quality of
fish attributes through collective agreement between artisanal fishers and buyers.
Furthermore, artisanal fishers can come together and form co-operatives for
collective purchasing of fishery equipment that can accommodate reasonable sizes of
landing fish. They should participate in contractual agreements that allow setting up
of minimum fish landing price as a means of capability increase in determining
landing price and improvement of subjective wellbeing satisfaction of artisanal
fishers.