Growth Opportunities for Artisanal Fisheries in Mexico

Luis Gallardo, María Cervantes, and Gerardo Rodríguez

Universidad Politécnica del Mar y la Sierra (UPMyS), Universidad de Occidente (UdO) Unidad Guasave, Centro Interdisciplinario

de Investigación Científica para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR-IPN), Sinaloa, Mexico

Abstract: Currently the fishing cooperatives in Mexico are of great importance for the integration of economic, social and environmental objectives that are part of their daily work. Collective action to build and strengthen fishing communities have had an impact on the quality of life of its inhabitants becoming the cooperative in a social and economic institution of deep cultural roots in coastal areas. Sinaloa is one of the states of northwestern Mexico that contributes most to the economy of the region for its concentration of biggest fleet, fishery processing, producing shrimp farms, coastal fishing cooperatives and just over 15% of the population national fisheries, this is more than 45 thousand direct jobs and a considerable number of indirect jobs. Public policy for the cooperative greatest impact has been the opening of shrimping private investment, creating strong competition between private investors and fishing cooperatives; and other factors such as deterioration of coastal ecosystems, the management capacity of government support and economic management mechanisms of cooperatives under the scheme of family organization. In this context coastal fishing cooperatives are challenged to manage their investment projects with strategic advantages in exploiting growth opportunities to compete in the global marketplace by optimizing the value of their flat on the risk ratios, organization products, and entrepreneurship as a line of investigation.

It is therefore carrying out this research in order to analyze what are the opportunities that have the fishing cooperatives of Sinaloa can be exploited under the scheme of family organization to grow and remain in the market. He approach methodological is made using the paradigm quantitative, using as instrument of collection a survey and collecting it information in a sample of 86 partners of cooperative; sample obtained through the use of formula statistics for populations finite. Main findings are that the perception about the Government supports is almost non-existent since cooperative members feel adrift in the development of their activities, competitiveness is on the decrease, infrastructure deteriorates, what they move away from competitiveness, since the infrastructure deteriorates and there is no improvement in processes due to the lack of trade regulation operational and strategic to motivate regional economic development. We need cooperators to optimize their scarce resources and create value, looking for growth opportunities through the use of their resources and capabilities to remain and not only survive.

Key words: entrepreneurship, cooperatives and risk