Approximately 200 metric tons of live fish are transported to markets every day in Bangladesh. The onset of COVID-19 disrupted these transportation networks and threatened the health, safety, and livelihoods of aquaculture value chain actors. Forced to travel to markets in crowded rickshaw vans, fish farmers and traders experienced high risk of exposure to COVID-19 and risked major economic losses.
Demand for live fish exceeds that of iced dead fish in Bangladesh and fetches a significantly higher price at market. However, poor handling and transportation practices lead to high fish mortality, resulting in lost food and income. Low quality of the surviving fish leads to diminished returns and exacerbates economic losses caused by the pandemic, which impacted access to markets for fish farmers, fish traders, and consumers.
