The Role of Fish Markets in Organizing Coastal Community Livelihoods: A Case Study of Giao Hai, Nam Dinh, Vietnam

Date Received: Aug 21, 2025

Date Accepted: Dec 12, 2025

Date Published: Dec 31, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31817/vjas.2025.8.4.09

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Issue: Vol. 8 No. 4 (2025): Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Section:

ECONOMICS, SOCIETY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

How to Cite:

Khue, N., Dien, N., Ha, P., Xuan, N., & Philippe, L. (2025). The Role of Fish Markets in Organizing Coastal Community Livelihoods: A Case Study of Giao Hai, Nam Dinh, Vietnam. Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 8(4), 2764–2776. https://doi.org/10.31817/vjas.2025.8.4.09

The Role of Fish Markets in Organizing Coastal Community Livelihoods: A Case Study of Giao Hai, Nam Dinh, Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Minh Khue (*) 1 , Nguyen Thi Dien 1 , Pham Thi Thu Ha 1 , Nguyen Truong Xuan 2   , Philippe Lebailly 3

  • Corresponding author: [email protected]
  • 1 Faculty of Social Sciences, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi 12400, Vietnam
  • 2 Faculty of Economics and Management, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi 12400, Vietnam
  • 3 Economics and Rural Development Department, Belgium University of Liège, Liège 5030, Belgium

    • Keywords

    Small-scale fisheries, power, gender, social capital, informality

    Abstract


    This study analyzes the role of the Giao Hai fish market (Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh province) in organizing and sustaining coastal community livelihoods. By integrating perspectives from small-scale fisheries, trader–fisher relations, gender analysis, and local ecological knowledge, the research is based on 27 in-depth interviews and participant observation conducted between March and June 2025. The findings reveal that the Giao Hai fish market functions as a strategic hub linking harvesting, trading, and processing, largely governed by informal institutions and community social capital. Relations between traders and fishers simultaneously provide essential financial and logistical resources but simultaneously create asymmetric dependencies. The gendered division of labor ensures the continuity of the supply chain but also reproduces inequalities in economic power. Current challenges include declining fishery resources, price volatility, competition from non-local traders, and limited cold storage infrastructure. The study recommends a combination of socio-economic measures and resource management strategies to secure sustainable livelihoods while protecting and restoring marine resources.

     

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