Value Chain Analysis for Skipjack Tuna Captured in the South Central Region of Vietnam

This study was conducted to analyze the economic efficiency of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) value chain capturedin south central regionand to propose solutions for upgrading the chain. Data collected through interviews with 175 actors involved in the skipjack tuna value chain in 2017were used forchain economic analysis. Results showed thatthe profit distributionsper kg and ofthe total volume of raw skipjack tuna(about 83,000 tonnes/year) between the respective chain actorswere63.4 and 74.2% for fishermen, 4.9 and 5.6% for middlemen; and 31.1% and 20.18% for processing enterprises, respectively. However, if calculated on a chain actorbasis, the average profit distribution per fisher wasverylow, as this actorgroup mainly organized themselvesinsmall-scale productionat householdlevel(about 2,000 fishing households),leadingto low production efficiencyand lack or limited capacity to link with other actors in the chain. The solutions to improve the value chain of skipjacktunain the direction of efficiency and sustainabilityinclude: promotingchain linkages to increase the scale of production and improve the quality of raw materials; product diversification and branding; and developing policies to support the development of the chain (credit, insurance, risk sharing).