Impacts of COVID-19 on Market Access and Pricing of Fisheries Value Chain in the Coastal Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study analyzes the market access of the biggest fish market at Chattogram coastal region of Bangladesh affected by COVID-19. The food chain was reduced locally, regionally, and globally as supply chains were disturbed and international seafood exports were halted for a certain period. For data collection several qualitative data collection tools, such as individual interviews as well as secondary document analysis were employed. To realize the overarching aim of this research the whole market system was analyzed including the supplier, wholesaler, retailer, as well as the consumer of the domestic market in the Chattogram district. The result shows that the pandemic slowed the supply and demand in the domestic fish market, and as a consequence the price of fish was distinctly reduced in the whole market system. The result highlights that the most affected stages of the supply chains are the supply quantity, the interval of the supply, and the quantity of fish sales. Furthermore, the principally affected stages of the demand chains are consumer demand and alternation in the preference of the consumer. To overcome such situation, this study recommends governmental financial support to trades to ensure the smooth flow of the supply and demand and create an alternative market system for the consumer. The pandemic and the measures to address the pandemic have created significant new challenges for market access and controlling pricing in domestic markets. Regularly engage of the policymakers are thus the prerequisite to overcome the compensation of trades and ensure food security in this sector.