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Abstract
The Ver-o-Peso Market, freely translated as “check-the-weight” market, is one of
the main fish unloading and marketing sites in Brazil. Thirty five thousand tons of fish are
unloaded yearly at the market, involving several groups of individuals, such as balanceiros,
local conditioned agents who trade the local production. The present research intends to
demonstrate, through Economical Sociology assumptions, the importance of balanceiros in the fish commercialization model installed at Ver-o-Peso Market. The adopted methodology included bibliographic
and documental research, semi-structured interviews, direct observation, audio and video registration. The analysis
of the collected information was carried out through tabulation and ranking according to the assumptions of the
Economical Sociology. The results demonstrate the importance of balanceiro as the logistical commerce coordinator
of the transactions that are performed in the wholesale market of fresh fish on Pedra, the commercialization at the
Ver-o-Peso Market. This study offers to the sector researchers and managers a perspective based on individual
and collective motivations of the individuals involved in the establishment and development of local markets, in a
context that goes beyond the economical assumptions of supply and demand, in a perspective that the keyword is
social embeddedness.