Efforts at ensuring sustainable fish production has not produced expected outcome because of inefficient marketing system, thus slowing the performance or efficiency of the fishing industry. Hence, there is an urgent need to assess fish marketing system by analyzing the fish marketing structure, conduct and performance in Ekiti State, South-western Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select respondents for the study. A sample size of 12 fish farmers/producers, 6 fish wholesalers and 22 fish retailers were proportionately and randomly selected from each of the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the ADP zones (three zones) in the study area. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Gini-coefficient, Lorenz curve, gross margin, net margin analyses, marketing margin, marketing efficiency, operational efficiency, multiple regression and Likert rating scale. The market structure analysis revealed the Gini-coefficient of 0.7100 indicating an Oligopolistic market in Ekiti State. The market conduct results revealed that greater proportion (61.0%) of the fish marketers determined their selling price based on the marketing cost of fish and the profit desired. Also, the degree of market transparency posited that 51.4% of the marketers use weighing scale as their unit of measurement. The market performance analysis revealed that fish marketing business in Ekiti State is a lucrative one. Based on the findings, it is essential that fish marketers in Ekiti State improve their market characteristics (market structure), behaviou r (market conduct) and also ensure a reduction in their marketing cost (market performance) to become a Perfect market by strictly pursuing policies and strategies that can lower the costs of marketing in order to increase the market efficiency.
Keywords: Fish marketing, conduct, performance, structure, oligopoly.