Organizational Strategies in The Seafood Supply Chain of Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract only.This paper aims to generate insights on the organizational forms within\ud seafood supply chain and how they can influence the fishing industrys\ud flexibility and performance. To accomplish this objective, the vertical\ud organizational structure and strategies developed along the supply chain of\ud the fishing industry of Yucatan are analyzed as a multidimensional concept\ud in terms of its different dimensions of integration. The study involves\ud interviews conducted during 2008 with the owners of the 20 most\ud important firms in Yucatan's fishing industry. Fisheries managers and\ud social leaders from the fishing activity were also interviewed and direct\ud observations regarding the structure and operation of each company was\ud undertaken. The study describes the main characteristics and actors, and the\ud nature and relationships influencing the structure and dynamics of the\ud seafood supply chain in this industry. Mechanisms by which the\ud organizational strategies and their degree of integration built a multiple\ud sourcing network to attempt for the maintenance of a reliable supply chain,\ud capable to cope with the stochastic nature of fish resources abundance and\ud new market requirements. Considering that the access to resources and\ud markets is a highly competitive process and a major challenge the fishing\ud industry is currently facing. Thus, it is argued that efficient seafood chain\ud management can contribute to the improvement of fishing industry\ud performance and fisheries management if seafood chain organizational\ud strategy incorporates measures not only for fishing under the scheme of\ud mass production but for the maintenance of resources