A Study on Improving the Fisheries Products Distribution Structure

수산물의 유통구조 개선에 관한 연구

This study intends to examine the distribution channel of the most popular ten species caught in Korean coastal and off-shore fisheries with the aid of interviewing fish brokers and cooperative staffs in fish landing markets. This paper finds and emphasizes the following three suggestions, in order to improve the present scheme of fish distribution system. Firstly, annual catch of 10 kinds of fishes is successively decreasing in quantity from 1994 to 1998. Moreover annual catch shows larger variations than fish price and cooperative sales quantity. Except sea eel and sole, cooperative sales accommodates more than 90% of the fish landed, accounting for the small variation in cooperative sales, which invalidates the effectiveness of the free distribution system adopted by the government. Secondly, diversified distribution channels are exposed according to the nature of the fish, the method to harvest, and the quantity caught. Large retailers such as discount stores, super chains and home shopping institutions are actively involving themselves in direct purchase in fish landing markets. Through the analysis of distribution routes, the general distribution channel of fresh fish has been found such as producers longrightarrow fish brokers in landing markets longrightarrow fish brokers in central wholesale markets longrightarrow wholesalers longrightarrow retailers longrightarrow consumers. In order to reduce distribution margin through the analysis of distribution function and distribution margin, this paper presents a new distribution channel such as producers longrightarrow fish brokers in landing markets longrightarrow wholesalers longrightarrow retailers longrightarrow consumers. Thirdly, to improve the fish landing markets, this paper suggests the M&A of uneconomical fish landing markets or renovating toward wholesalers, introduction of processing services and improvement of processing facilities, subsidizing fish brokers in landing markets, revitalization of marketing divisions in cooperatives and improvement in fish auction system.