FACILITATION OF COMPETITIVENESS IN LATVIAN FISHERY SECTOR

ABSTRACT

Fishing opportunities of Latvia are based on the long-term research of environment and fish resources at national and international level. Environmental pollution, unfavourable spawning conditions as well as intensive fishing and other factors have negative influence upon the state of the fish stocks. As a result of stock fluctuation and changes in fishing quotas allocated annually at the EU level, Latvian fishery companies have difficulties to plan their future activities; consequently, increasing attention is being paid to opportunities of facilitating competitiveness. The aim of the research is to evaluate competitiveness of Latvian fishery sector, providing suggestions for the need in structural reforms. On the grounds of the Model of the Factors Influencing Competitiveness of the Fisheries Sector Cluster and Fishery Competitiveness Index developed by the author, and the offered types of strategies, the author evaluated and analyzed the competitiveness of Latvian fishery sector and provided suggestions for further development of the sector. Significance of the factors and their influence upon competitiveness was checked through causation analysis. The research was elaborated guiding by the available data and their quality. Methodology offered by the author may be used in order to evaluate competitiveness of fishery sector in any country, thus providing opportunity to institutions and entrepreneurs, who are involved in elaboration and implementation of fisheries policy, to better elaborate, plan and improve sector’s common policy.

Keywords: competitiveness, fishery sector, Latvia, strategy