Fish landing centres or sites are associated with small-scale marine and inland fisheries. They provide a location for first point of sale for products and provide a place where fishers can leave their boats and obtain supplies such as food, fuel and ice. Many landing centres have developed in association with local communities. The facilities, services and access to market vary. It is these characteristics, as well as the capacity of the users, which influences how fish and fish products are handled and traded, and hence the food loss and waste (FLW) that can occur. It is important to note that the way in which fish is treated at landing centres will have implications for FLW at downstream stages of the value chain.

In the artisanal fisheries sector, limitations or deficiencies in infrastructure at landing sites mean that individual productivity is low and levels of spoilage and waste are high. Although many governments mention the need to support the artisanal fisheries sector, their efforts to do so in infrastructure investments have not been reflected by funding priorities.