Prof. V. A. Okonji

Fish farmers and fishermen have often complained of low profit margin due to the impact of fish marketing agents who often fix fish price without minding the cost of fish production It is therefore important to investigate the roles and impacts of marketig agents.This study examined the impact of fish marketing agents on fish prices in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Four major markets namely New Benin, Uselu, Yanga, and Oka were purposively selected, and primary data were obtained from 101 respondents through the use of structured questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a 5% significance level were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that fish marketing in Benin City is dominated by women (59.4%), mostly between the ages of 26–35 years, with moderate educational attainment. Retailers (38.6%) and wholesalers (23.8%) constituted the major categories of marketing agents, with wholesalers (35.6%) identified as having the greatest influence on fish prices. The majority (64.4%) of respondents believed that marketing agents cause price increases and price fluctuations, mainly through transportation cost manipulation (35.6%) and hoarding (33.7%). The major challenges identified included unfair pricing (47.5%), low profit margins (22.8%), and limited access to capital (12.9%). Government intervention (52.5%) and regulation of market agents (45.5%) were the most suggested measures for achieving fair pricing. The study concludes that while marketing agents play a vital role in fish distribution, their activities often lead to price distortions that negatively affect both producers and consumers. It recommends strengthened institutional regulation, improved infrastructure, cooperative marketing, and capacity building to enhance transparency, efficiency, and fairness in fish marketing within Benin City.