Who's who in the value chain for the Mexican octopus fishery: Mapping the production chain

The growing trend on seafood trade from domestic to international markets calls for an understanding of the socioeconomic structure operating in fisheries value chains. In this paper, a structural mapping approach was used to identify catch trends, prevalent forms of coordination among actors, and the key players involved in the octopus production chain in Mexico. The analysis also allowed to track products along the stream, and assess how octopus prices change through the chain. Data came from governmental agencies and in-depth interviews with key actors. The study highlights multiple linkages among a diversity of actors within the chain, which is shaped by the leading firms that control the exportation. The fishers comprise the largest group in the production chain, but they are nevertheless the least empowered among the traders. Formal and informal arrangements among actors create dependence of fishers on middlemen and wholesalers. The study also reveals concern about informal harvest and trade, which could place the octopus stock and its trade at risk. The paper concludes with remarks about the role that the expansion of trade can have in shaping the way fisheries operate, and the need for institutional arrangements that lead to sustainable fisheries and fair trade.