54 JUNE 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG • Identification of the main limiting factors, critical points and positive aspects, • Identification of the family farming role in the supply chain, • Identification of priority needs of the productive sector to support the sustainability of agribusiness, • Preparation of a fish supply chain design in the study area, • Identification each stakeholder and the links among them, • Determination of information needs for each link to allow achievement of project objectives, and • Development of questionnaires for each stakeholder/ link studied through the instrument. In the second workshop, the topics covered were: • Presentation of the results obtained in the first workshop, • Survey and refinement of the strengths and weaknesses, risks and opportunities in the chain by SWOT analysis, • Realization of strategic planning in the chain, • Realization of presentation, discussion and adjustments of responses obtained in questionnaires formulated in the first workshop, • Survey activities planning of data from the fishing communities and aquaculture. After the survey application, data were analyzed statistically and qualitatively (Moraes 1999). Supply Chain Analysis Information obtained during workshops complemented that obtained in regional work reports to identify key limiting factors, critical points and positive aspects of the chain. Consequently, the process generated opportunities for scenario development and priority mapping of trends and actions for the region, aiming to promote and structure fish farming. The outcome of this process is summarized in the six topics discussed below: Supply Chain Structure, Organization and Actors To understand the complexity of the supply chain, a representative design (Fig. 2) was prepared during the workshop and showed to the participants present at the meeting. The stakeholders highlighted in the conceptual model are feed manufacturers, fingerling producers, technical assistance providers, banks and financial institutions, environmental agencies, fish producers and fishermen, environmental monitoring agencies, middlemen and fish distributors, transporters, supermarkets, street markets and restaurants, processing facilities and final consumers. The structure of the fish supply chain is regionalized and varies according to the municipality. For instance, there are fishermen who sell fish to street market vendors and others who directly sell on the street. There is consensus that the main power in the supply chain is with wholesalers, who exert very strong pressure on fisherman. However, there is also recognition that wholesalers will always exist in the current structure of the fish value chain and will always be necessary to aggregate production, which is rather fragmented in the region, and to provide assistance to regional and interstate markets. Another factor that reinforces this problem is the short-term view of fisherman, who often need to make money quickly. It is difficult to conceive of actions that could minimize this problem, such as work through associations or cooperatives. The farmed fish supply chain is exclusively for tilapia. The production system used is low-volume cages that vary between 4 and 12 m3 of useful volume. According to producers, total production costs (variable plus fixed costs) are not always covered by revenue from fish sales. From the producer’s point of view, the main obstacles are the availability of fingerlings and feed delivery in the region, related to the great distance from hatcheries and feed mills to production sites. However, producers are satisfied with the quality and performance of acquired fingerlings. Feed price was not an obstacle to production, but delivery time and freight was. The organization of producers into associations is still incipient. Currently, there are about 12 associations and settlements in the region. Projects that encouraged small farmers and fishermen to become fish farmers in the region – consisting of modules of 12 cages per producer with funds from a federal program – did not achieve expected results. Most producers failed to get the planned performance and eventually defaulted on bank loans. Fish Marketing Of the products derived from fishing, 80 percent are View of tilapia production in cages at Sobradinho Lake. Photo: Fernanda Muniz Bez Birolo. Producers working at tilapia cages in Sobradinho Lake, Bahia, Brazil. Photo: Fernanda Muniz Bez Birolo.
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