A value chain analysis (VCA) is a cost‐effective tool to guide targeted value chain development interventions to address social wellbeing and environmental performance. Examining value chains through a gender lens can help design and implement interventions that enhance opportunities for women in the fisheries and address gender inequalities in the sector. We conducted a VCA in 2015 of the wild‐caught mud crab (Scylla serrata) fishery in Bua Province, Fiji. We found five main players involved in the selling of mud crabs – fishers, traders, retail shops, restaurants and exporters. The value chain was dominated by Indigenous (iTaukei) women fishers (88.1% of fishers) and characterised by low technological input, targeted largely for domestic markets or consumption, and with limited value‐adding activities. Although most women harvested mud crabs on a part‐time basis, it was an important source of income for most with 30% relying on it as their main livelihood. Despite being a lucrative commodity, there are several bottlenecks in the fishery – the relative informality of relationships amongst players in the value chain, the independent livelihood‐driven harvest behaviours of fishers, and opportunistic sale of products. As a result, the fishery did not meet the demands of the domestic market. Our study concluded the gendered‐skewness in the fishery increases the vulnerability of the chain to declines in economic productivity because of its reliance on irregular suppliers, and gender‐based constraints. However, the low frequency and intensity of harvesting and use of low technological harvesting methods meant the fishery was not over‐exploited and likely sustainable.

中文翻译：

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以女性为主的野生青蟹渔业的价值链分析


价值链分析 (VCA) 是一种具有成本效益的工具，可指导有针对性的价值链开发干预措施，以解决社会福祉和环境绩效问题。从性别角度审视价值链有助于设计和实施干预措施，以增加妇女在渔业中的机会并解决该部门的性别不平等问题。我们于 2015 年对斐济布阿省的野生青蟹（Scylla serrata）渔业进行了 VCA。我们发现了参与青蟹销售的五个主要参与者——渔民、贸易商、零售店、餐馆和出口商。该价值链由土著（iTaukei）女性渔民（占渔民的 88.1%）主导，其特点是技术投入低，主要针对国内市场或消费，增值活动有限。尽管大多数妇女以兼职方式捕捞泥蟹，但这对大多数妇女来说是重要的收入来源，其中 30% 的妇女以此为主要生计。尽管渔业是一种利润丰厚的商品，但它仍然存在一些瓶颈——价值链中参与者之间的关系相对非正式、渔民独立的生计驱动的捕捞行为以及产品的机会主义销售。因此，渔业不能满足国内市场的需求。我们的研究得出的结论是，由于渔业对非正规供应商的依赖和基于性别的限制，渔业中的性别偏度增加了该产业链对经济生产力下降的脆弱性。然而，捕捞频率和强度较低以及技术含量较低的捕捞方法的使用意味着渔业没有过度开发并且可能是可持续的。