Technical and economic efficiency analysis of the Portuguese artisanal dredge fleet

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

Manuela M. Oliveira (Author) FEUP; Ana S. Camanho (Author) FEUP; Miguel B. Gaspar (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: ICES Journal of Marine Science

Vol. 67 No. 8

Pages: 1811-1821

ISSN: 1054-3139

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 16 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Materials engineering

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Industrial engineering

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-1D6

DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fsq110

Abstract (EN): An efficiency analysis of the commercial dredge fleet operating along the south coast of Portugal between 2005 and 2007 sought to determine the efficiency of the vessels using data envelopment analysis models, considering fixed inputs (vessel power, length, tonnage, and an indicator of stock biomass) and a variable input (number of days at sea). The annual quota per vessel was also included in the model as a contextual factor. In the technical-efficiency (TE) analysis, outputs were defined by the catch weight for each of the three target species (bivalves). Using price data for each species in the wholesale market, revenue efficiency was also estimated to complement the TE analysis. The advantage of the approach lies in the ability to separate technical aspects from allocative aspects in the efficiency assessment, allowing two-dimensional graphic representation of vessel performance. The procedure allows the identifi- cation of benchmark vessels, which maximized the catch weight of the species landed, given their inputs, as well as the vessels that selected the appropriate target species to maximize the revenue of the fishing activity, given output prices. The approach also allowed the specification of targets for inefficient vessels that correspond to the catch by species, permitting revenue maximization from fishing.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11