Reef fisheries are important for food and livelihoods of coastal communities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. The degree to which different people can benefit from fisheries depends on the structure of the market. In spite of their critical role in supporting livelihoods, most fisheries research in WIO has focused on the ecological aspects of fish production. little empirical information exists regarding access to and participation in fish trade.
We mapped the structure of value chains of octopus, and mixed reef fish and small pelagics and contrasted their market characteristics including, structure, identity and role of different actors in the chain, volumes,
prices, and commodity differentiation at each node. We also made a preliminary assessment of how market power and value-addition is shared amongst the market chain actors. Our methods were based on observation, key informant interviews (n~100), and a survey of representatives of each node (n~700) at representative coastal sites in Kenya and Mozambique.
