Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/1297 on 20.03.2017 by CS (TIS)The Southwest Region, as defined by the SW Regional Development Agency,
forms an extended peninsula with a coastline of 1,020 km, the longest of any
region in England. All along this coastline are fishing ports, commercial ports,
small wharves, closed ports, ferry ports and leisure ports. Amongst the smallest
are a dozen tidal ports, tiny harbours and rocky wharfs that still maintain a
commercial trade of local and environmental significance. According to most
theories of port development these ports should close, being forced out of
business by larger, more efficient ports.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen people who were involved
with five small ports or port areas in the Southwest region. They represented
commercial, local government or local resident interests. The research was carried
out using grounded theory methodology, which aims to create theory through
inductive analysis of the data.
An ecological theory of port competition emerged, which explains how a small port
succeeds because it is adapted to a market niche within which it enjoys a unique
competitive advantage. Small ports are, however, extremely vulnerable to
relatively small changes in the external environment, especially as port town land
has a high opportunity cost in terms of the housing, retail and leisure
developments that could profitably be made on the land. The institutional
environment (including the support of the local council) and economic environment
are the two most important indicators for the success or failure of a small port.
In terms of regional competitiveness, a small port contributes to the
competitiveness of its region as a business in the traded sector and a facilitator of
traded businesses. In terms of clustering, a small port appears to belong more to a
cluster of industries around agricultural products, fish products, supplies
distribution, wholesaling transportation and logistics services, than to the obvious
'marine' clusters of ship fabrication or marine leisure