About Eastafa.com
Eastafa.com – was founded in January 2005 to make it possible for fishermen ,fishing cooperatives and fish buyers to acquire East African Fish and Fish products on the Internet, in an efficient and user friendly way of Internet auctions.
We run weekly auctions
Eastafa.com is based in Nairobi : We have product collection points in Vanga, Shimoni, Kipini, Lamu, Port Victoria, Suba and Musoma.
Auctions Highlights
Eastafa.com weekly online fish auctions allows us to collect realtime auction data. We publish Auction Highlights in order to give the customers the current market value of the fish product.
Concept note for fish marketing in East Africa
We, the East African Fish Auction Ltd (from here on known as "Eastafa") have established a Fish Trading, marketing and information system for East African Fish and Fish products on an Auction trading model, both online and physical.
The system is better because the trading mechanism is transparent and the trading parties get their perceived value whether a buy or sale.
The system is also pro- poor because it enables the small-scale fishermen to get integrated into the global economy due for their increased access to and use of information. We feel that the system also transforms the fish economy into a knowledge-based economy. This is because selling and harvesting of fish will be done with use of underlying information.
The local stake holders also get to know the value of resources and extract value in the process and have a more take home price for their catch. This in turn helps alleviate poverty in resource rich regions.
The advantage of this auction model is that:
• Fish harvesting will be on a just in time order based on the trading trend on the day to day basis, thus over fishing and wastage will be reduced.
• Fish will be widely available because more distributors will come thus nutritional needs of a society will be enhanced.
• Market access will be enhanced and opportunities for getting financial services ,storage facilities and consistent trading partners will be enhanced.
The intended districts of focus in Kenya are Busia, Suba, Migori, Rachounyo, Bondo, Kwale, Kilifi, Malindi, TanaRiver and Lamu.
Districts of neighboring countries rich in fish bordering Kenyans selects districts will be incorporated in the project.
We will work with fishermen, fishing cooperatives, agents, exporters, importers, and financial services providers on its development and operations.
Determining the Reserve Price
At Eastafa we maintain an extensive database of current Fish prices accumulated from commercial fish auctions, including our own. We calculate our low and high price.
Estimates based on the average hammer prices from the most recent year for which comprehensive data is available.
Once we've received your Fish for consignment we may adjust the estimates to account for variations in the condition of the Fish, including the level and the conditions of the freshness, weight, and type. The reserve will be set at least one bid increment below the low estimate for the Fish. It is our experience that Fish with lower reserves attract more interest. Fish with lower reserves often sell for a higher price than identical Fish in the same auction that started with higher reserves.
Because our goal is to sell your Fish for the highest price possible, we will set the reserve for your Fish at a level that we believe is realistic in relation to current market conditions. We reserve the right to set the reserve price for any Fish sold at Eastafa.
SELLER'S AGREEMENT
Before accepting your Fish for auction, Eastafa requires a signed seller's Agreement. Each contract between Eastafa and the seller can be different. Please read and understand the entire Agreement before signing.
COMMISSION RATES
Once we have accepted a bid that is at or above the reserve, your Fish will be sold. We will then retain a seller's commission that will be calculated as a percentage of the final accepted bid. Your account representative will discuss your seller's commission rate with you.
SELLER'S SHIPPING RESPONSIBILITY
Sellers are responsible for the expense of shipping their consigned Fish to our nearest facility. We will deduct any expense we incur on a seller's behalf to ship the Fish to one of our facilities, or to return any unsold Fish to the seller. All costs terms and conditions are detailed in the Seller's Agreement, which represents the entire contract between the seller and Eagan .com. If you would like assistance with shipping arrangements, please contact our consignment department, 
or call us +254 20- 244071. We will provide you with competitive shipping rates and recommend shipping services to safely deliver your Fish to one of our facilities. When shipping your Fish, please be sure to require a signature to assure its safe delivery and receipt.
PAYMENT FOR CONSIGNED FISH
Settlement checks are mailed approximately 30 business days after the close of the auction, subject to the terms and conditions contained in your seller's Agreement.
UNSOLD FISH
Most fish consigned to Eastafa is sold in its first auction. Any fish that does not sell in its first auction will be re-entered in a subsequent auction with the reserve price lowered one bidding increment below the previous reserve. Should you prefer to have unsold Fish returned to you, we will return it as allowed by your State's laws. You will be charged for the cost of shipping.
Bidding Rules
How Bidding Works At Eastafa
Bidders at Eastafa should be aware of the following rules that apply to bidding.
These rules, listed below in order of priority, determine who will win a particular lot.
- Shilling Amount of Bid
- Bid Quantity (Please see Multiple-Crates lots example below)
- Date of Bid
- Time of Bid
Making Bidding Easier
Here are some ways to make bidding easier and more efficient
AutoBid
With our Auto feature you don't have to keep checking to see if you still have the highest bid. AutoBid will bid for you. Here's how it work's: when you place your bid, type in the maximum amount you are willing to spend, even though the lot has not yet reached that level. Our AutoBid feature will then automatically increase your bid as other bidders bid the lot up. AutoBid will never bid more than the maximum amount you have indicated.
For instance if a Fish Lot has a reserve of Kshs 30 and you are willing to pay up to Kshs 50, type Kshs 50 in the bid box. Your bid will be placed at Kshs 30 with an AutoBid of Kshs 50, and you will win at Kshs 30 if no one else bids it up. If someone else places a bid at Kshs 35, your bid is automatically raised to Kshs 35 and you still have the winning bid because your AutoBid was in place before the competing Kshs 35 bid was placed. (The amount AutoBid increases in response to competing bids is determined by our schedule of bid increments explained in Fish and Auction Terms). If there are no higher bids you are the winner. This process will continue until the bid amount reaches your specified maximum of Kshs 50. See the” Bidding on Multiple-Crates Lots “section below for additional information
Checking For Identical Lots
It sometimes happens that we have identical Fish consigned from different consignors. This means that sometimes within a single auction we will have different lots containing identical Fish. For various reasons, bidding may be at different levels on the lots. Before placing a bid it is a good idea to use our Search or Browse for Fish features to find other lots that might contain the Fish that you want. However, you should always check the full lot description to determine the condition of the Fish and its provenance before placing a bid since this may explain different reserve levels or bidding activity on identical lots.
Bidding On Multiple-Crate Lots
Example: If a lot contains ten crates with a reserve of Kshs 50 per crate, ten bidders may each bid Kshs 50 on a crate during the first several days of the auction. At that point, if there are no more bids, each bidder will win a crate at Kshs 50. But, if a bidder comes in later during the auction and bids Kshs 50 per crate for all ten crates, he will win all the crates at Kshs 50 a crate. If the late bidder bids Kshs 50 on only five of the ten crates, he will win five bottles from the most recent five single –crate bidders. Early bidders have an advantage over later bidders assuming the dollar amount of quantity of the bid does not increase. In this example, if your single crate bid Kshs 50 is outbid by someone buying several crates at Kshs 50, even though you made your bid first, you will have to increase your bid dollar amount or increase the quantity of crates in your bid in order to get back into the auction.
Please note: If you have placed an AutoBid on a multiple-crate lot and you are outbid on even a single crate, your AutoBid will automatically increase your bid on all the crates on which you have bid. For instance: If you have a winning bid of Kshs 55 on each of 5 crates and have set your AutoBid at Kshs 70 per Crate someone else places a bid of Kshs 55 on each of the crates.
Future and Pre-arrivals
At Eastafa we are constantly in touch with Fishermen , Fishing Trawlers, Fishing Cooperatives and Processors for Fish and Fish products of to auction on our site. We offer hand-picked Fish futures and pre-arrivals to give you the opportunity to buy and sell Fish. If you purchase Eastafa Futures or Pre-arrivals you can track their release and delivery schedule on our futures calendar.
What are fish “futures”?
When buying fish as “futures” you are purchasing an allocation of fish that is not yet landed, packaged (and processed). The time required to package and release fish sold on a future basis depends on many factors, including the varietal, the region of origin and the fisherman's style. Fish may be sold as futures two to three weeks before release. Individual futures offerings include information about the approximate release date.
Futures in the current auction
What are “are pre-arrival” fish?
When buying fish on “pre-arrival” basis you are purchasing a specific crate or lot of fish that is not yet in our Warehouse. Eastafa often auctions fish that come directly from Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria. After such fish are purchased it takes several hours to ship them from landing site to our warehouse and on to the buyer.
How Eastafa Works
Welcome to Eastafa, the premier online fish auction for East African Region. All of Eastafa is accessible to anyone anytime. There is no need to register to browse Eastafa. However, to buy or sell you must register.
Searching and browsing for fish.
There are several ways to find specific fish and fish products on Eastafa.
Search Box
If you are looking for a specific fish, the Search Box at the upper left is the fastest way to find it. Enter the fish you are looking for, such as Prawns, and hit “Search”. Be as specific as possible for best results. Check here for more Search Tips.
Advanced Search
Our Advanced Search allows you to add numerous additional parameters to our standard search function, including your preferred price range, crate size, country of origin, appellation and other parameters. You can also search for Uncontested Lots, which are lots without bids. Our Advanced Search allows you to save and modify your Advanced Searches for later use.
Browse Menu
You can also browse for fish by using the criteria on the “Browse for Fish” menu at the top of the page. To sell all Nile Perch in the auction, for example, click Nile Perch. To see all the fish from Kenya, click Kenya you can also browse by price, format, taste, fresh water or saltwater, producer name.
Spotlights
Our home page always Lots offered each auction. Click the headline or photo of a spotlight to view lot descriptions.
Fisheries Direct
Our Fisheries Direct programme offers fish from small, independent fishermen and fishermen cooperatives with very limited production and distribution. To browse our Fisheries Direct offerings, click a fish label or the name of the fishery in the Fishery Direct section at the bottom of the home page. You can also access Fishery Direct by going to the Buy Fish page, then clicking Fishery Direct in the Buy Fish Box on the upper left side of the page.
Lots Without Bids
Two days before the close of each week auction we post Lots Without Bids, which is a list of lots that are still at their original reserves. The link is displayed on the “Browse for Fish " menu.
Registering
Registration is required to bid and sell.
Click Register at the top right of the page. Complete the registration page. To register you must be at least 21 years.
Buying
You can bid for fish from either your Search Results page or from the more detailed Lot Description page.
For example: if you searched for Nile Perch you will get a search results page or pages of all the Nile Perch in the auction. Scroll until you find one you want to buy. In the boxes at the bottom of the lot description, enter the number of lots you want to bid on and the price you will pay for each lot. Please note that in Eastafa auctions, a lot is usually a single crate. But sometimes a lot may be a full ton of fish or several crates. The lot description will state clearly how many crates are in the lot. For instance, if the lot consists of 12-crates of Prawns with a reserve of Kshs 500 for the lot, you are bidding on a quantity of 1(which will include all 12 crates) for a reserve of Kshs 500.
To place your bid hit Place Bid .
Next you will see our Bid confirmation page where you can double check your bid. If you have indicated that you want to buy two crates at Kshs 50 each, the Bid Confirmation page will show that your total bid is Kshs 100. If it is the bid you intended to make, you must then hit Submit Bid. Otherwise hit Cancel and your bid will be erased. Once you have hit Submit Bid you have committed to buying the lot at the price indicated on your bid. If no one outbids you, you will win the lot at the close of auction.
You can also bid for a lot from the more detailed Lot Description page. Simply click the name of the fish you want when it appears on your search results page. You will get a more detailed page that includes the Lots bidding history. To place a bid, follow the same steps as above.
You may also bid from your Lot Tracker. See below.
Auction. At that time your credit card will be charged for the cost of shipping and handling. See shipping.
Selling Fish
Selling fish on Eastafa is easy and efficient. Register, log in, and then use our consignment form to email us a list of the fish you wish to consign. You may also fax us your consignment list or send SMS Text.
We will make an initial appraisal based on your list. A Eastafa representative will contact you to discuss the consignment and determine the best way to ship your fish to one of our temperature- controlled warehouses. Fish must be received 3-4 hours before being placed in an auction to ensure an accurate inspection.
During an auction, sellers can track the bidding on their fish through our seller Administration. After the auction, sellers receive a detailed settlement report. Sellers receive a check for their fish, less commission and fees, in approximately 30 business days from the auction close.
Emails About Your Transactions
Eastafa will send you email relating to your transactions with us. These emails include outbid notifications, shipping notices, consignment information and post-auction invoices. In order to receive these emails you must “opt-in” on the Registration page. If you are not receiving these emails from us please check that you have “opted-in” to receive email and that we have your correct email address. It is also possible that your Internet provider or browser software is sending our email directly to your spam folder. By adding the following Eastafa addresses to your address book or contact list, our email will likely appear in your Inbox
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Logging In
If you log in to our site and then are immediately bounced back to our log in page, it is probably because your browser is not configured to accept and store “cookies”. Your cookies setting must be enabled to use Eastafa. Please consult your browser Help section or your internet provider website for details on accepting cookies.
Tax and Currency Information
All Eastafa auctions are conducted in Kshs. Buyers' credit cards will be charged in Kshs for the hammer price, buyer's premium, insurance, applicable taxes and shipping costs. If you do not live in the Kenya or East Africa, actual amount to be paid in your home currency will be determined by the exchange rate used by your credit card company when you are actually charged.
Consignor's settlements will be in Kshs unless other arrangements are made at the time of consignment.
Duties And Customs Charges
Eastafa will collect state/country sales tax on shipments made by any state/country where Eastafa is obligated to collect sales and/or use tax. This includes shipments that are picked up at one of our facilities or sent to a storage facility in a state/country where we are obligated to collect the tax Tax is calculated as a percentage of the entire price paid, including the hammer price, the buyer's premiums, and any charges made for packing, handling insurance.
Duties and Customs Charges
Buyers are responsible for all duties and customs charges incurred in shipping purchases from the location where the fish is stored to the requested shipping address. To the extent that Eastafa provides estimates of shipping, customs and duty charges, these should be treated as estimates only. The buyer is responsible for actual charges incurred.
Please email Customer Service,, if you have any other questions about tax or currency.
Acknowledgement.
The Project is Supported by:
"(in part) by a grant from Project IDEAS , a joint initiative of the Foundation Open Society Institute (“FOSI”) , a swiss charitable foundation , and the International Finance Corporation( “IFC”)".
WSIS - World Summit on the Information Society
IDRC - The International Development Research Center - WSIS Challenge Award Sponsor
Spider - WSIS Challenge Award Sponsor
For more information, please contact us at:
Our Affiliates
Producer-Fishermen/ Fishing Cooperatives
kipini multipurpose Cooperative
Budalangi fisheries cooperative
Shimoni fisher folk cooperative
Mwagugu fishermen Cooperative
Shella Fishermen Cooperatives