A value chain analysis on tuna and tuna-like species in Iran

The present study is an attempt to analyze the value chain of tuna and tuna-like species. The study is intended to show the main loops of tuna and tuna-like species industry along with their relations. Also, the present study indicates the current map of value chain along with its problem tree for tuna and tuna-like species in Iran. According to test hypothesis, the status of tuna and tuna-like species value chain is not ideal in Iran. Weak market for various tuna products (lack of variety in the production of canned goods and the non-canned products), low rate of export to Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia (high cost, lack of competitiveness and non-flexibility of the rules and regulations for producing products with the preference of exporting countries) and the weakness in the export of the fresh tuna to Japan and the European unio‎n for added value products (non-compliance with the target countries criteria and the weakness of the transport infrastructure, especially in the air transit) were identified as the main problems. Also, in the present study, the missing and weak factors which reduced the efficiency of the value chain were identified in forms of the problem trees and ranked by Friedman test. The results of this study showed that the value chain of tuna and tunalike species suffer from the lack of fair distribution of profit between the value chain loops, no diversification in the production of value added products, neglecting the quality in the value chain and poor access to the export market of value added products.