4. MARKETS

4.1 Imports and Exports of Fish and Fish Products
4.2 Consumption

4.1 Imports and Exports of Fish and Fish Products

The traditional fish products that were internationally traded in the Region were smoked and dried fish that were often prepared in inland areas such as Mali and then sent to coastal countries. This trade was then complemented by the import of stockfish from North European countries. Latterly the import of tinned fish from Morocco, Japan and South Africa has considerably increased, and very recently frozen fish has been imported in particularly large quantities.

Reference has already been made in earlier sections (and by Gulland, Troadec and Bayagbona, 1973) to the fishing of CECAF waters by non-coastal countries. These countries mainly use freezer trawlers and, soon after the start of operations, some of the countries found that a ready market for this frozen fish existed in West Africa. Practically all the fish landed, mainly horse mackerel, was new to the African consumer but nevertheless the new product gained almost immediate approval from local traders, consumers and fleet owners. Cold stores, transport networks, and cold store depots were set up throughout West Africa in a very short tine and, by 1970, frozen fish had supplanted dried and smoked fish as the main fish product traded.

In spite of the present dominance of the frozen fish trade, the trade in smoked and dried fish still continues with North European stockfish, in particular, being imported in large quantities into Nigeria and Zaire. The trade in fish from Mali has declined but this is partly due to the Sahel drought which has meant that more fish has been consumed in Mali itself leaving little for export, and partly due to impoundments such as Kossou in Ivory Coast, Volta in Ghana, and Kainji in Nigeria which have led to increased freshwater fish production in these countries that had traditionally imported fish from Mali. Less important dried fish exchanges take place between Mauritania and Zaire and the Congo, between Gambia and Sierra Leone, and between Senegal and the Ivory Coast.

Dried and smoked fish can often be easily transported, stored over long periods, produced and eaten in remote areas, and caught, processed, and marketed by the same individual. These features are particularly advantageous to the small time fisherman, transporter and wholesaler. However, for the bulk buying, distribution and marketing of fish, the frozen fish product has proved more manageable than the dried fish product.

The frozen fish trade has been described by Moal and Gousset (1967) and by Krone (1970). The first frozen fish deliveries (other than tuna) from vessels operating along the West African coast took place in 1962 when landings in Ghana amounted to 21,000 tons and landings in Nigeria amounted to 424 tons. In 1963 the imported landings in Ghana had increased to 34,000 tons and a domestic fleet of freezer trawlers supplied another 8,000 tons. In 1964 these two countries provided a market for 58,000 tons, which, by 1967, had increased to 90,000 tons. By 1975, all countries along the coast from Guinea Bissau to Zaire, except Gabon, received frozen fish and the total weight landed exceeded 300,000 tons. Only Ghana and Cameroon possess their own freezer trawlers thus about 230,000 tons of frozen fish are imported into CECAF countries each year. This substantial volume makes the Region's frozen fish trade one of the world's most important traded fish products.

The frozen fish trade in general appears to have complemented rather than competed with the fish sold by artisanal fishermen. Krone (op. cit.) has noted that some coastal small-scale fisheries have forced the frozen fish distributors to adapt their sales prices, and that the type of species and products often differ sufficiently to keep markets separated to some degree. Sometimes, also, the catching, processing and marketing of fish in small coastal fisheries have integrated themselves into a state of equilibrium which does not permit intervention from outside. In some countries the government has taken steps to avoid depressive effects on the price of fish caught by local fisheries by putting an entry tax on the frozen fish imports.

The export trade in the Region is dominated by Morocco. The principal export is of canned sardine, and this product has been supplemented recently by increasing exports of canned mackerel (Annex Table V). Frozen whole and headed sardine have been increasingly exported for later canning. The majority of the sardine go to Western Europe although increasing quantities are now destined for developing countries. Fish meal exports have been strong and a large quantity are going to Eastern Europe.

Mauritania is exporting increasing quantities of frozen products, particularly cephalopods, to Japan (Annex Table VI). The export of dried fish is declining in quantity. Fishmeal exports have shown a decrease after a rapid increase due to high world prices. In the 1960's Mauritania agreed to supply Congo with dried fish in return for sugar, but this agreement has now lapsed.

Senegal has had a profitable shrimp export trade but this has dropped in volume as a large foreign - registered fleet operating out of Dakar has suspended operations due to failure to agree with the local government on an acceptable fishing licence fee. Exports of whole frozen fish from Senegal have been steadily rising as markets in other parts of West Africa, notably Ivory Coast, open up (Annex Table VII).

A fish freezing plant has recently opened in Gambia which supplies frozen fish for the Ghanaian market. This activity now supplements the trade of smoked bonga which has been traditionally exported to Sierra Leone.

Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia all continue to import frozen fish in spite of the presence of abundant fish resources off their coasts (particularly off Guinea and Sierra Leone). However Liberia now has a substantial export trade of shrimp which in value almost makes the fishing sector a foreign exchange earner. Cape Verde has a small but continuing export trade in tuna.

Ivory Coast has massively increased frozen fish imports (to over 88,000 tons of frozen fish in 1974) to satisfy the large nutritional demand of the population. However a tuna cannery in Abidjan earns substantial foreign exchange which helps to offset the high cost of the frozen fish imports. Some dried freshwater fish is still imported from Mali.

Ghana imports very little frozen fish as the locally-based distant water fishing fleet, and local fishermen, supply almost all the country's requirements (except for tinned fish). The recent formation of Lake Volta has allowed the freshwater fish catches to significantly increase. Togo and Benin both import frozen fish as local resources cannot meet the national demand. Benin is able to offset some of the import cost by exporting frozen shrimp which have been caught by locally-based boats off the delta of the Niger River.

Nigeria has the most substantial fish import trade in the Region (exceeding 100,000 tons annually). In spite of official data which show frozen fish imports to be only about 5,000 tons and stockfish imports to be about 1,000 tons, it is apparent from commercial sources that the import trade in these commodities is considerably higher than officially recorded (Annex Table VIII). Much of the frozen fish imported has been caught by vessels that have been chartered and therefore in the government external trade statistics the fish is not classified as an import. Freezing operations allow a substantial quantity of shrimp caught off the Niger delta to be exported.

Cameroon has two freezer trawlers to supply the local market which is additionally supplied by imported fish. The country also exports shrimp. Gabon, Congo and Zaïre have their own local non-freezer inshore fleets to supply local markets. Congo and Zaïre have recently started importing frozen fish. Zaïre has particularly high imports of canned fish (Annex Table IX).

Nowhere in the import statistics of CECAF coastal countries can a reference be found to fishmeal and oil imports. Very probably such imports have started as a result of the establishment of poultry and animal feeding units and these imports might be expected to increase as animal feed becomes a prerequisite to further development of the livestock sector. It is probable that future imports of canned fish will increase in line with income levels. Because of its big trade with Zaïre, South Africa is now the largest supplier of canned fish to the Region. The increase in frozen fish imports throughout the Region is expected to continue as more cold stores are established. About 85 percent of all frozen fish supplied to the Region comes from the Soviet Union vessels, with lesser amounts supplied from vessels of Poland, Bulgaria, Japan and Spain. At Dakar, Freetown, Abidjan, Tema (Ghana) and Pointe Noire (Congo) the tuna vessels land tuna for transhipment to Europe and the U.S.A. This tuna trade is expected to continue (although not at Pointe Noire where the port has become too congested).

The exports and imports of fish and fish products in CECAF coastal countries were in balance at a total of $63 million in 1971. Since 1971 this value will have greatly increased and probably the 1974 value will show a regional deficit due to greatly increased imports not being offset by a similar increase in value of exports.

Table 4.1 Approximate weight of frozen fish disembarked for local consumption

thousand tons
Country	1973	1974
Guinea	· · ·	10,000
Sierra Leone	10,632	6,298
Liberia	14,489	11,884
Ivory Coast	· · ·	76,754
Ghana		6,274
Ghana (locally - based)	65,000	55,000
Togo	10,282	12,076
Benin	5,194	5,194
Nigeria (official)	71,411	74,906
Nigeria (unofficial)	· · ·	30,0001/
Cameroon	· · ·	7,609
Cameroon (locally-based)	· · ·	5,000
Equatorial Guinea	· · ·	2,000
Congo	· · ·	3,000
Zaïre	653	5,701
Total		311,696

^1/ Additional total to correspond more closely with distributing companies' information
Source: CECAF Project estimates

Table 4.2 Weight and value of foreign fish trade thousand tons and thousand dollars

Country		Import					Export
		1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Morocco	t	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1	81.4	85.6	77.9	135.8	102.3
	$	103.0	144.0	109.0	306.0	111.0	34,706.0	37,884.0	38,672.0	80,247.0	78,830.0
Mauritania	t	46.8	55.0	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	20.7	22.6	· · ·	· · ·	28.0
	$	3,816.0	3,693.0				7,361.0	7,691.0			15,275.0
Senegal	t	9.4	9.1	9.0	8.2	· · ·	14.9	18.9	24.7	30.6	· · ·
	$	3,147.0	4,430.0	4,019.0	6,186.0		8,445.0	12,893.0	17,247.0	21,728.0
Cambia	t	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.9	0.8	1.3	2.3	4.4
	$	32.0	55.0	67.0	105.0	96.0	116.0	108.0	204.0	585.0	956.0
Cape Verde	t	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	· · ·	1.9	1.8	1.6	2.3	· · ·
	$	46.0	75.0	115.0	185.0		705.0	620.0	754.0	1,063.0
Guinea Bissau	t	0.4	0.5	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·
	$	308.0	395.0
Sierra Leone	t	12.1	10.9	· · ·	13.6	· · ·	0.0	0.0	· · ·	0.0	· · ·
	$	2,484.0	2,672.0		3,103.0		7.0	11.0		5.0
Liberia	t	1.5	1.6	1.3	1.6	· · ·	1.0	0.8	1.0	0.8	· · ·
	$	710.0	895.0	934.0	1,208.0		1,810.0	1,901.0	2,448.0	1,520.0
Ivory Coast	t	13.7	20.9	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	2.9	3.2	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·
	$	3,332.0	5,216.0				2,557.0	2,937.0
Ghana	t	46.3	51.4	76.6	111.0	· · ·	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5	· · ·
	$	15,711.0	14,701.0	17,897.0	18,663.0		0.0	0.0	0.0	293.0
Togo	t	8.7	8.4	7.3	5.6	· · ·	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	· · ·
	$	1,445.0	1,259.0	1,270.0	1,191.0		39.0	40.0	64.0	67.0
Benin	t	3.0	4.3	· · ·	· · ·	· * ·	0.4	0.6	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·
	$	649.0	817.0				222.0	270.0
Nigeria	t	6.6	7.7	17.3	13.2	· · ·	0.3	0.3	0.3	1.4	· · ·
	$	2,047.0	1,858.0	4,116.0	10,738.0		104.0	84.0	96.0	2,154.0
Cameroon	t	6.8	6.2	8.3	8.7	· · ·	1.7	3.2	1.9	2.9	· · ·
	$	2,507.0	2,762.0	3,608.0	3,245.0		1,116.0	2,430.0	2,898.0	5,568.0
Equat. Guinea	t	2.8	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	2.4	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·
	$	746.0					742.0
Gallon	t	1.9	2.1	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	0.0	0.0	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·
	$	1,041.0	1,209.0				66.0	40.0
Sao Tome and Principe	t	0.3	0.1	0.1	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·
	$	119.0	113.0	65.0
Congo	t	5.2	4.2	5.3	4.0	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·	· · ·
	$	2,486.0	2,228.0	3,449.0	2,828.0
Zaïre	t	32.7	· · ·	36.0	· · ·	· · ·	0.0	· · ·	0.1	· · ·	· · ·
	$	16,540.0		24,824.0			8.0		74.0

Source: FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics (N.B. Prom local investigation, it has been found that the data for Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria do not correctly indicate the volume or value of imports)

4.2 Consumption

Data on household consumption of foodstuffs are very limited in West Africa and it has been possible to obtain information only from Morocco, Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin. Generally, there is no information from household surveys on per caput consumption of fresh or 'prepared', marine or freshwater fish. The data presented in Table 4.3 are gathered from various sources. It can be Been that, in all instances except Morocco, the consumption of fish, by weight, is higher than that of meat.

Table 4.3 Consumption of foodstuffs in selected locations

Grams per person per day
Foodstuff	Togo	Ivory Coast	Benin		Morocco
	Lome	Abidjan	Cotonou	Rural areas	Casablanca	Meknes
Vegetables/roots	188.0	396.0	227.9	147.1	284.0	220.0
Cereals	392.6	401.0	705.8	737.3	534.0	465.0
Vegetable oils	29.7	34.0	25.5	44.3	26.1	24.2
Eggs/milk/milk products	1.8	54.0	1.6	0.1	96.0	74.8
Fruit	18.8	59.0	22.7	17.1	182.0	103.2
Meat	21.8	45.0	18.4	3.8	61.0	53.1
Sugar	4.4	74.0	3.9	0.1	90.0	83.2
Fish (fresh weight equiv.)	63.0	178.0	45.0	16.0	9.9	3.9
Fish (kilograms per annum)	23.0	65.0	16.4	5.8	3.6	1.4

Source:

Unpublished papers presented at FAO Marketing Seminar, Dakar, December 1975
Direction de la Statistique, Rabat

Table 4.3 also shows that less fish is eaten in rural areas than urban areas, which is understandable in view of the ease of fish distribution in urban as against rural areas. Lagoin and Salmon (1967) likewise noted that capital cities show high fish consumption rates relative to other areas of each country. They found, for example, that Dakar had a per caput annual consumption of 70 kilograms compared with 24.4 kilograms in other parts of Senegal, and that, in Accra, consumption was 40 kilograms per caput per year whereas consumption in the rest of Ghana was 13 kilograms. Lagoin and Salmon (op. cit.) also found that fresh or frozen fish were more commonly consumed in urban areas than in rural areas where 'prepared' fish was more commonly eaten. Their data are still believed to be relevant to the present situation.

Data from Sierra Leone illustrate the preference of different households for fish (Table 4.4). Whereas in Freetown over 46 percent of all expenditures, by household, is spent on food, in rural areas only 28 percent of all household expenditures is spent on food; needless to say, household income and expenditures are on average much higher in Freetown than in rural areas. Although a higher percentage of expenditures in Freetown than in rural areas is spent on fish (8.4 percent against 4.9 percent), the expenditures on fish as a percentage of expenditures on food are almost the same (18 percent against 17 percent) in both areas. It is also pertinent to note that a higher percentage of expenditures in Freetown is spent on fresh fish than 'prepared' fish with the situation reversed in rural areas. From Table 4.5 it can be seen that consumption of 'prepared' fish drops slightly as incomes increase, whereas the drop in consumption of fresh fish, although present, is less marked. In Table 4.6 are presented data collected in Lomé in 1964 which is before frozen fish was first sold, and it is quite clear that fish had a predominant role in satisfying food demand (at 24.7 percent of all expenditures on food).

Table 4.4 Percentage of household monthly expenditures spent on foodstuffs in Sierra Leone by area (1969-70)

	All rural areas	Freetown
Rice, cereals and bread	4.8	14.5
Vegetables	2.5	3.9
Fruit	1.9	1.0
Oil and fats	2.7	6.0
Milk and milk products	1.3	1.7
Non-alcoholic drinks	1.8	1.8
Meat	2.9	3.9
Poultry	1.3	0.2
Eggs	0.7	0.3
Fresh fish	2.3	5.3
Prepared fish	2.6	3.1
Sugar and salt	1.6	2.3
Other food	1.3	1.3
Restaurant meals	0.3	0.8
Total	28.0	46.1

Source: Documents of the Central Statistical Office, Freetown

Table 4.5 Expenditures on food as percent of household expenditures

Item	Income group (Leone per month)
	0 - 40	40 - 100	more than 100
Rice	18.5	17.8	9.8
Vegetables	5.3	4.2	3.3
Fruit	1.1	0.9	0.9
Oils and fats	7.4	6.0	7.2
Milk and milk products	1.5	1.7	1.5
Non-alcoholic drinks	1.5	2.0	1.9
Meat	3.2	4.6	4.3
Poultry	0.3	0.3	0.7
Eggs	0.1	0.3	0.5
Fresh fish	5.8	5.6	3.2
Prepared fish	4.5	2.5	0.9
Sugar and salt	2.2	1.8	1.1
Other food	2.4	0.7	0.3
Restaurant food	1.0	1.7	0.5
Total	54.8	50.1	36.1

Source: See Table 4.4

Table 4.6 Household expenditure on foodstuffs as a percentage of all expenditures on food in Lomé (1964)

Item	Percentage
Vegetables	8.9
Beans and roots	10.8
Cereals	26.8
Vegetable oils	5.4
Eggs, milk and milk products	2.5
Fruit	1.7
Restaurant meals	2.8
Meat	7.6
Poultry	3.8
Prepared meat	1.7
Fresh and frozen fish	4.5
Smoked and dried fish	11.1
Other fish and crustacea	9.1
Sugar	2.0
Other foods	1.3

Source: Tickner, 1975; quoting Budgets Familiaux, 1967, Société d'Etudes pour le Développement Economique et Social (SEDES), Paris

Population and supply could easily influence future consumption patterns. Indeed since the 1960's, fish consumption may actually have decreased in some countries such as Benin and Sierra Leone where decreased imports and higher populations have not necessarily been matched by local production increases. Another factor to influence consumption is the income elasticity of demand for fish which is possibly static or decreasing in coastal urban areas such as Abidjan and Dakar (where supplies are relatively abundant) whilst remaining high in inland areas. However the income elasticity of demand for fish may have increased in livestock-rearing areas affected by the Sahel drought, particularly where cold storage depots have been established. In regard to future consumption, it is important to note the adaptability of coastal peoples to acceptance of fish species previously little known in local waters. In Ghana, for example, the hake now landed in large quantities by the distant water trawlers is readily sold, whereas a few years ago the fish was not available on the local market (since the fish was not caught by the trawlers that now fish the species off Angola).