Domestic landings and imports of seafood in emerging economies: The Brazilian sardines market

Seafood imports have increased strongly in emerging economies during the last decades. However, the impacts of increased imports on price determination process, local fishers' income and fish stocks have received limited attention. This paper presents a market integration and price transmission analysis for the Brazilian sardine market, comprising the fresh and canned sardines segments, to shed light on these issues. Imports currently supply about one-half the sardines in the Brazilian market, and even more when the domestic fishery landings are low. The results suggest not only a fully integrated market but also a complete price transmission in both sardine value chains. Hence, import competition with domestic fisheries limit price increases in the domestic fishery and reduce fishers' income and fishing effort. However, the canneries, consumers and fish stocks are better off.