Evaluation of competitiveness and insertion in social networks of HPP Canoas I fish farmers

Author(s)

Raiane Real Martinelli

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Tupã. 2016-05-04.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Ciências e Engenharia. Tupã
• Defense date: 2016-03-24
• Advisor: Gessuir Pigatto

Abstract

The global demand for fisheries has increased every year, serving to encourage aquaculture activity with great potential of raising production, since it is the previously planned cultivation of aquatic organisms. In Brazil, aquaculture modality that is booming is fish farming in cages, and the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the main cultivated species. In the Southeast of the country, especially in São Paulo, the expansion of tilapia culture is taking place mainly through the use of cages in the large reservoirs of hydroelectric power plants (HPP). Among the state's reservoirs, it is the HPP Canoas I which is located on the Paranapanema River and covers the municipalities of Cândido Mota - SP and Itambaracá - PR. Since both municipalities have significant data regarding fish farming in general and in fishnet tanks, this region was defined as the study focus of this research, for which it was proposed as a general objective to analyze the competitiveness of the agents involved in the production of tilapia in cages in the hydroelectric reservoir of the Hydroelectric Plant of Canoas I and their inclusion in social networks. In addition, one of the specific objectives would be to analyze the relationship between the level of integration into social network and level of competitiveness. In order to meet the research objectives, the work included literature on two theoretical aspects involved (Social Networks and Competitiveness) and field research, where fish farmers inserted in the HPP Canoas I reservoir were identified, contacted and interviewed, answering characterization questions of relative order and on competitiveness. The analysis of social network has been made from the treatment of the answers to relational issues and their submission to UCINET® software. The results showed that the most prominent fish farmers on the network are in Paraná bank of the reservoir and work for a long time with the production of tilapia in cages. The competitiveness analysis, in turn, was held from seven drivers: technology and innovation, input and infrastructure, market structure, internal management, institutional environment, market relations and environmental issues. In general, the greatest impasses found to increase the level of competitiveness are linked to the institutional environment and the discrepancy about the importance of environmental issues among the fish farmers of Sao Paulo and Parana. The individual competitiveness of calculations for each fish farmer showed that four fish farmers with higher levels of competitiveness are in Paraná bank of HPP reservoir Canoas I and are experienced in fish activity. Three of these fish farmers are the same three that had greater inclusion in social network. Nevertheless, the relationship between the level of integration in social network and level of competitiveness could not be completely proven, since the same was not observed for other fish farmers. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/16075-2 - Analysis of social networks and the competitiveness of the agents involved in the production of tilapia in net-cages in UHE Canoas I
• Grantee: Raiane Real Martinelli
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master