Searching for price parity in the European whitefish market

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to test for price parity across different species of whitefish in the European Union. Price parity is defined by a system of cointegrated prices and would be evidence of a single European market for whitefish. Whitefish are of interest because EU fishers receive the largest share of their income from these fish species. Notwithstanding the single market policy of the EU, by establishing national and regional associations to stabilize or increase the local price of fish, fishers operate as if the European market is made up of separate sub-markets with price being determined largely within each sub-market. If whitefish markets were price cointegrated such associations would be largely ineffective. In that case, what are required are regulations that encompass the European market.