Technical Efficiency and Economic Performance in Fisheries
Summary
Technical efficiency in fisheries refers to the ability of fishing operations to maximise output for a given set of inputs, encompassing vessel capacity, gear technology and crew expertise. Economic performance captures the revenues, costs and profitability arising from these operations, influenced by market conditions, management regimes and regulatory incentives. Across small-scale and industrial fleets, studies have revealed persistent inefficiencies that limit sustainable yields and constrain income generation. Advances in frontier analysis and composite indicator methods have enabled more precise measurement of inefficiency sources, whether stemming from suboptimal gear design, inadequate training or mismatches between fleet capacity and available stocks. Improving technical efficiency not only reduces resource pressure and by-catch but also enhances economic resilience for coastal communities. An integrated approach, combining quantitative assessment tools with social and ecological considerations, is proving essential for policy frameworks that balance productivity with conservation objectives on a global scale.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Technical Efficiency and Economic Performance in Fisheries publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in technical efficiency and economic performance in fisheries across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Technical efficiency: The ratio of actual output to maximum feasible output given a set of inputs.
Economic performance: A measure of revenue, cost and profitability outcomes for fishing operations.
Data envelopment analysis (DEA): A frontier-based method for assessing relative efficiency of decision-making units with multiple inputs and outputs.
Stochastic frontier analysis: An econometric approach that separates random noise from inefficiency effects in production or cost functions.
Returns to scale: The rate at which output changes in response to a proportional change in all inputs.
References
- Use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess management alternatives in the presence of multiple objectives. Marine Policy (2023).
- Are Chilimira Fishers of Engraulicypris sardella (Günther, 1868) in Lake Malawi Productive? The Case of Nkhotakota District. Sustainability (2022).
- On the productivity and technical efficiency of the Puerto Rican queen conch Aliger gigas fishery. Marine and Coastal Fisheries (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.