抄録
Wholesale markets for marine products in fisheries areas provide two important functions. First, they provide a stable supply of quality marine products to local consumers. Second, they ease the contingency of sales and form prices immediately and appropriately. Present Japanese fishery policy integrates wholesale markets in fishery areas to strengthen the first function. Fish catches in the inland sea coast area are small and varied. As a result, many small-scale wholesale markets in those areas do not provide the first function. However, those wholesale markets do provide the following functions. First, they commercialize these small and varied fish catches. Second, they operate as a site where the small fish trader or fish seller in the community can buy a limited amount of fish, forming an important sphere of local circulation. Third, they provide a circulation route for local fish, thereby maintaining the gastronomic culture in the community. The means by which wholesale markets are currently maintained in order to strengthen the first function has the danger of disregarding these functions of the wholesale market in the community.
