9.1 Quantity Requirements for Returnable Fish Boxes
9.1.1 Market where fishing boats using boxes are delivering catches
9.1.2 Processing plant
9.1.3 Pool system involving an agent buying fish from vessels and extending the fish box transportation to retailers
9.1.4 Pool system involving an agent buying fish from vessels, wholesale market and extending the transportation to retailers
9.2
Quantity Requirements for Non-Returnable Fish Boxes
9.3
Determining Quantity Requirements for Insulated Fish Containers
The number of returnable fish boxes required in a box-pool depends on the marketing and distribution system. Many systems exist., from the most simple where fishermen retail their own fish to complex systems with many parties involved.
Figure 24 Hand pump for desinfection
Two management systems are commonly used to distribute fish boxes to a fleet:
A simple pool system is shown below. Fishing vessels or other fish transporting vessels land their catches to a processing plant or a market where fish is sold without bringing the boxes any further.
The figures above mean:
B1 = Total number of fish boxes onboard the fishing vessels belonging to the pool
B2 = Total number of fish boxes onboard vessels transporting fresh fish from remote receiving stations belonging to the pool
X = Fishing vessels delivering catches, but not belonging to the pool (exchange boxes). Not to be taken into a formula counting required number of fish boxes.
As a first step in developing a general formula to determine the necessary number of fish boxes required one has to consider the vessels unloading fish. Assuming there are 20 fishing vessels with an average of 20 fish boxes on each, the total number B1 = 400.
Further, it can be assumed that one vessel transporting fresh fish from remote places is involved. This vessel is loaded with 100 fish boxes = B2. (Fish boxes in circulation on the remote receiving places are not calculated here but the methods of calculation is similar.)
The calculation of boxes in a box-pool will be as follows:
It is assumed that only fishing vessels are involved. The number of fish boxes B1 = 400.
The next factor is the maximum daily throughput in the market (or unloading capacity per day), B3. If it is assumed that the vessels in average spend two days fishing. the throughput is 200 fish boxes. If total number of fish boxes in the pool = B, the formula for required number of boxes are:
B1 + B2 = B
Required number of boxes are then:
400 + 200 = 600
It is assumed that boxes are cleaned after the process of unloading. However, if the procedure of cleaning is not fast enough, it can be necessary to have some extra boxes to compensate for those being cleaned, especially in small markets where vessels are delivering their catches each day.
The formula will involve the following factors defined above (9.1.1):
B1 = 400
B2 = 200
B3 = 200 (maximum unloading capacity per day)
In addition maximum number of boxes in the chill store, B4 will be 600. The formula for required number of boxes will be:
B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 = B
Required number of boxes:
400 + 200 + 200 + 600 = 1 400
If extra fish boxes are required because of the cleaning process this must also included.
9.1.3 Pool system involving an agent buying fish from vessels and extending the fish box transportation to retailers
A pool system where fish boxes pass through two purchase/marketing operations and the transportation of fish in boxes extends to retailers is shown below:
B1, B2, B3 and B4 are defined earlier.
In addition the maximum number of boxes dispatched per day, B5 and the number of days D in transit between the agent's chill store and retailers have to be estimated.
Boxes are in transit to the retailers; DB5 boxes are being returned empty and B5 boxes are required to be in hand by the retailers in wait for incoming loaded containers. Then the formula will be:
B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + B5 + DB5 + DB5 + B5 = B
i.e., B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + 2B5 + 2DB5 = B
Assuming B5 = 200 and D = 2
Required number of boxes:
400 + 200 + 200 + 600 + 400 + 800 = 2 600
If extra fish boxes are required because of the cleaning process this must be included. If the incoming boxes to the retailers are being cleaned immediately after unloading and returned with the same transport, there will not be any requirement of extra boxes being ready for exchange.
A pool system involving vessels, agent, wholesale market and retailers is shown below:
B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 and D are defined earlier (B5 = number of boxes dispatched from the agent to the wholesale market and D= number of days in transit between the agent and the wholesale market).
In addition the number of boxes, B6 dispatched from the wholesale market to the retailers per day, the number of days in transit, Dl between the wholesale market to be estimated.
Assumed that B6 = 200 and D1 = 2, the formula for required number of fish boxes will be:
B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + 2B5 + 2DB5 + B6 + DlB6 + DlB6 + B6 = B
If D1B6 boxes are in transit from the wholesale market to the retailers, D1B6 boxes are being returned empty and B6 boxes are stored by the retailers to be exchanged exchange for incoming loaded containers. Then the formula will be:
B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + 2B5 + 2DB5 + 2B6 + 2D1B6 =B
Required number of boxes :
400 + 200 + 200 + 600 + 400 + 800 + 400 + 800 = 3 800
These calculations are summarized in Table 20.
Non-returnable fish boxes are used as transport packaging when the distance of transport. the commodity or other conditions do not make returnable boxes profitable or practicable. Costs of boxes usually are calculated into the price of the commodity. Quantity requirements are estimated according to planned volume to be shipped. It will be necessary to have a stock of non-returnable fish boxes or material for production of non-returnable fish boxes according to the estimated shipping rate.
Table 20 Calculation of number of fish boxes needed in a pool
| Fish sold direct from market or processor | B1+ B2 + B3 |
| Fish held in chiller prior to marketing/processing | B1+ B2 + B3 + B4 |
| Fish dispatched to retailers through agent | B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + 2B5 (1+D) |
| Fish dispatched to retailer agent wholesalers | B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + 2B5 (1+D) + 2B6 (1+D1) |
Note
B1 Number of boxes on fishing vessels
B2 Number of boxes on vessels carrying fish
B3 Daily throughput pant/market
B4 Boxes of fish he'd in chiller
B5 Number of boxes of fish dispatched to retailer each day
D Road transit time to retailer
B6 Number of boxes dispatched from wholesaler to retailer
D1 Road transit time between wholesaler and retailer
Determining quantity requirements for insulated fish containers are made in a similar way as returnable fish boxes, see Section 9.1.
