Avaliação da estratégia econômica, ambiental e social da carcinicultura no estado do Ceará

Abstract

Shrimp farming in Ceara is under intense pressure from government and nongovernment organizations which associate expansion of shrimp production areas with destruction of the natural environment, especially coastal wetlands. The aim of this project is to evaluate the economic, environmental and social strategies of shrimp farming in the State of Ceara using the Structure Conduct Performance model-SCP-Triple. This model affirms that companies receiving economic, environmental and social pressures on their industrial structure adopt a particular economic. environmental and social conduct in order to obtain results, also triplicate, in their performance. A qualitative-quantitative survey was carried out using a structured questionnaire and complimentary interviews. The questionnaire was used on 22 firms located in the Coreau, Acarau, Coastal and lower Jaguaribe river basins in the state of Ceara. The survey collected data from owners, directors, managers and supervisors of production units including post larva laboratories finishing farms and processing activities which constitute the shrimp farming production chain. Analysis of the results shows that the shrimp farming industry of the State of Ceara has an intermediate economic conduct profile and faces strong structural pressures. Environmental conduct has a weak profile with intermediate pressures notably from the European Community, which is a major destination of Brazilian shrimp exports, through its sanitary requirements. Social conduct is weak but compatible with the absence of social pressures on the industry. Analysis of the strategy evaluation matrix shows that the firms surveyed act as supportive with respect to the economic dimension, reactive relative to the environmental dimension and indifferent in terms of the social dimension. It is concluded that firms are at a disadvantage because of the lack of a government policy for the sector addressing issues such as the complex process of granting environmental permits and high taxes and interest rates which create difficulties in the growth of the industry. The firms are at the beginning of a development cycle and the implementation of a triple strategy would introduce a level of excellence and sustainable competitiveness. Socially and environmentally responsible conduct and the involvement of interested parties can bring about sustainable use of the natural environment.