Acuicultura y globalizaciónel caso de la industria del mejillón

Resumo

This paper is an approach to the process of globalization, experimented in the last decade by aquaculture products, with special attention to mussels. From the 1970’s, Spain had become one of the biggest producers and exporters of mussel. A leadership in this shellfish industry located overwhelmingly in the ‘Rias Baixas’ of Galicia. However, its advantageous leadership position is now threatened by the emergence of competitors like Chile, whose aquaculture production in the last decade experienced a significant increase led by Spanish companies from Galicia and the Spanish Mediterranean. Our paper is divided in two sections. The first one pays attention to the process of internationalization of the Galician fishing and processing industry in last decades. The second section focuses on how international trade liberalization has hit to Galician mussel producers; on the development path of the Chilean mussel industry; on the role played in such development by Spanish companies; and, finally, we asses the impact of the recent economic crisis in mussel production and markets.