The data envelopment analysis approach to analyse fisheries efficiency in the Mediterranean and black sea countries

Abstract EN

Mediterranean and black sea fisheries face great challenges in the different countries, mainly because of the stock collapse and the increasing burden human activities such as fishing.

This study aimed to examine the Mediterranean and black sea countries' efficiency.

Data was collected from the 2020 report on the state of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, and a total of 19 countries was analysed.

Specifically, this study relies on the comprehensive efficiency analysis of 19 countries through a non-parametric technique, using a two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) analysis.

First, calculating the efficiency levels under both Constant Returns to Scale (CRS) and Variable Returns to Scale (VRS), before applying the bootstrap technique to derive the bias-corrected efficiency values under the Banker, Charnes and Cooper (BCC) model.

The results showed that almost 76% of the countries are efficient, while this percentage drops to 60% when correcting the scores from bias.

In a second step, some factors affecting the bias-corrected efficiencies were examined using the boostrapped truncated regression.

The important findings were that the natural factors (Jurisdictional waters and Coastline) affect the efficiency, while the local and managerial factors (disparity between the number of artisanal fisheries compared to industrial ones) does not really affect the efficiency levels.