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A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Fishery Economics, Policy, and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 33106

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Prof. Dr. Jiemin Lee

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Department of Shipping and Transportation Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Interests: aquaculture economic analysis; fish product marketing; economic distribution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquaculture is playing a critical role in the global food supply. In its recent annual report, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that by 2030, aquaculture will account for 62% of global fish production. However, climate change has not only negatively affected the production environment but has also reduced the resistance of aquatic organisms to pathogens, leading to the outbreak of large-scale epidemics and reduced aquacultural output. Apart from improving current disease prevention measures, farmers must apply innovative production methods to avoid excessive factor inputs and minimize production risks. Moreover, extreme weather conditions and potential long-term climate changes require aquaculture management policies to focus on promoting eco-friendly production and sustainable fishing practices. This Special Issue aims to bring together original research articles related to all aspects of aquaculture economics and fisheries management, including aquaculture production and farm management, innovation and technology adoption, marketing and pricing, environmental management, and the role of fisheries management in terms of coping with climate change.

Prof. Dr. Jiemin Lee
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

aquaculture
economic efficiency
ecofriendly farming
recreational fishery
climate change
fisheries management

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 9458 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Fostering the Development of Western Black Sea Aquaculture: A Scientific Case Study for Finfish Cage Farming Allocated Zone Designation

by Magda Nenciu, Victor Niță, Luminița Lazăr, Alina Spînu and Elena Vlăsceanu-Mateescu

Fishes 2023, 8(2), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8020104 - 09 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1559

Abstract

Mariculture offers enormous potential for providing sustainable food, playing a key role in achieving nutrition security, employment, and Blue Growth. This is particularly true in geographical areas where the dependence of local economies on fishery products is high and yet access to sustainable landings is hindered by environmental drawbacks. One such area is represented by the Black Sea, which offers different degrees of suitability for aquaculture development. While the southern and eastern shores are sheltered enough to allow for the development of large aquaculture activities, the north-western shoreline is characterized by wide environmental fluctuations and the strong influence of the Danube. This study aimed at investigating the suitability of a selected area of the Romanian coast (Mangalia) for finfish cage farming by adapting an internationally endorsed methodology for determining its Degree of Compatibility (DC). The development and expansion of finfish aquaculture depends on the availability of space, so designating Allocated Zones for Aquaculture (AZAs) is essential. The result obtained (DC = 80) indicates that the Mangalia area is suitable for finfish aquaculture activities: there is no major interference with other uses of the maritime space, no conflicts with nature conservation, and the environmental conditions are appropriate for fish culture in floating cages. The novel information provided by this study can be the building block for authorities to settle the governance gap that has so far impeded the development of marine aquaculture in Romania. At a larger scale, this study can serve as a good practice example at the regional Black Sea level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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25 pages, 1052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Threshold Effect of Overfishing on Global Fishery Outputs: International Evidence from a Sustainable Fishery Perspective

by Ca-Van Pham, Hui-Cheng Wang, Sheng-Hung Chen and Jie-Min Lee

Fishes 2023, 8(2), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8020071 - 24 Jan 2023

Viewed by 6997

Abstract

Using global fishery outputs from 62 countries during the period 2001–2020, this study applies the threshold panel data model of Hansen (2000) to empirically explore the nonlinear relations between the number of fishing vessels, fishers, and fishery production, with distinct overfishing stocks (overfishing) and fish caught by trawling or dredging techniques (trawling) as the threshold variables. Our findings show that the levels of fishery outputs could be increased by different combinations of primary factors, such as the number of fishing vessels and fishers. More specifically, when the number of fishing vessels and fishermen operating in countries with a high ratio of overfishing (overfishing > 4.4456) increased, their fishery outputs significantly increased as compared with countries with a low percentage of overfishing. As overfishing activities increase, they can result in significant shortages and imbalances of fishery resources, directly influencing fish biomass, biodiversity, and sustainability of fisheries, as well as making destructive fishing practices worse for marine ecosystems. Countries with a relatively high proportion of trawler net usage (trawling > 4.5516) would have significantly lower fishery outputs, as more fishing vessels are invested in them, compared with countries with a low proportion of trawling net use. This implies that trawler net usage is a non-sustainable fishing technique and harms fishery resources. The policy implications of this study indicate that taxing overfished species and implementing trawling regulations could significantly improve species richness and site-based abundance, thus helping to sustain fishery outputs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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23 pages, 3620 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Disentangling Environmental, Economic, and Technological Factors Driving Scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) Aquaculture in Chile

by José Bakit, Gonzalo Álvarez, Patricio A. Díaz, Eduardo Uribe, Rodrigo Sfeir, Sebastian Villasante, Tomas Gabriel Bas, Germán Lira, Hernán Pérez, Andrés Hurtado, Raúl González-Ávalos and Jose Castillo-Venenciano

Fishes 2022, 7(6), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7060380 - 08 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2361

Abstract

The boom-and-bust trajectory of the Argopecten purpuratus industry in Chile shows the progression from resource extraction (fishing) to production (aquaculture). This paper analyses the effects of environmental, economic, and scientific–technological factors. The influence of each factor on scallop production in Chile was reviewed for the period between the 1980s and 2020. The evaluation of the effects allows the visualisation of the industry’s productive evolution and reveals the current challenges. The occurrence of abrupt environmental disturbances, commercialisation under imperfect market configurations, and public and private efforts in scientific and technological advances have acted favourably on scallop production. However, an industry mainly focused on prices and high production volumes did not devote much effort to develop low-cost climate-resilient technologies. Today, economic challenges must be addressed by helping to reduce production costs and add economic value to products and by-products. Our results show that the industry must focus on low-cost technologies, the use of renewable energy, and the circularity of its processes. The environment ensures the capture of natural seeds and their adaptation to climate change. These challenges must not lose sight of the emerging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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21 pages, 1233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Drivers of Small-Scale Fishers’ Willingness to Adopt Property Rights Co-Management in the Lake Nokoué and Porto-Novo Lagoon Complex in Southeast Benin

by Sètondji Ben-Vital Kolawolé Kpanou, Sylvain Kpenavoun Chogou, Fèmi E. Hounnou, Augustin K. N. Aoudji, Philippe A. Lalèyè, Houinsou Dedehouanou and Thomas Dogot

Fishes 2022, 7(5), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7050249 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2252

Abstract

The estuarian and lagoon areas of southeast Benin are atypical lake territories where private property rights are hereditary from endogenous legal tradition. People live in stilt dwellings and are exclusively dedicated to free-to-access fishing. Consequently, an increasing number of fishers with low respect for the State’s general rules for sustainable fishing contribute to legal pluralism and the tragedy of the commons. Co-management of small-scale fisheries has been advocated to offer various benefits, including improved socio-ecological integration, shared sustainable livelihoods, and adherence to biodiversity objectives. This study aims to assess the factors that influence the willingness of small-scale fishers to adopt property rights co-management options in southeast Benin. The data were collected using the discrete choice experiment method. The results show that 44% of fishers are willing to adopt property rights co-management options. This willingness is determined by their involvement in the co-management committee, access to a subsidy and livelihood diversification options. These fishers are the oldest in the sample and primarily owners of Acadja, a traditional fishing tool made of bush and tree branches planted in the lake. Institutional agreements for co-management establishment, such as subsidies to support small-scale fishers’ livelihood diversification and capacity-building, must be set up to achieve co-management goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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17 pages, 1944 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Socioeconomic Impact of Coastal Environment Changes on Fishing Communities and Adaptation Strategies

by Yao-Jen Hsiao

Fishes 2022, 7(5), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7050243 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1859

Abstract

Oysters are one of the main aquatic products produced in Taiwan. However, because of the gradual changes in the environment of the Waisanding Sandbar, the oyster farming environment along the coast of Chiayi is shrinking, leading to greater operational risk and uncertainty. This study adopted a three-stage method to investigate the socioeconomic uncertainty that fishing communities face regarding environmental changes and to understand the environmental risk and fishery management awareness of different stakeholders as well as their views on adaptation strategies. In-depth interviews were used in the first stage. In Stage 2, two-round focus group interviews were conducted to organize views on the environment and climate, the oyster industry and management, and adaptation strategies. In the final stage, the AHP method was adopted to analyze the opinions of different stakeholders. The results showed factors affecting environmental change, oyster industry, and management among different stakeholders as well as the cognitive differences within the corresponding adaptation strategies. Therefore, socioeconomic and ecology complexities and uncertainties should be considered for enhancing social capital and promoting risk communication, more diverse social–ecological system data to assist fishery governance, and oyster industry development and adaptation strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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15 pages, 1980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Technical Efficiency of Taiwan’s Milkfish Polyculture in Consideration of Differences in Culturing Models and Environments

by Yung-Hsiang Lu, Yi-Wei Huang, Jia-Jan Lee and Sheng-Ju Huang

Fishes 2022, 7(5), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7050224 - 28 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1883

Abstract

Taiwan has cultured milkfish for longer than hundreds of years. Given its long and narrow terrain surrounded by sea and location in a subtropical monsoon area, it has developed a unique culture bounded by the Erren River in the south. The Yunjianan area in the north is cold in winter and thus follows the “current year harvest” culturing model. In contrast, the Gaoping area in the south is warmer in winter and follows the “overwinter harvest” culturing model. This paper evaluated the production efficiency by using the stochastic metafrontier production model and the multi-input-multi-output distance function using input from in-person interviews with 100 current year harvest farmers and 70 overwinter harvest farmers from 2017 to 2019. In the first stage, the environmental variables of various regions were internalized into the model to obtain the group technical efficiency (GTE) of different farming models. In the second stage, the common environmental variables were re-internalized to evaluate the metafrontier technical efficiency (MTE) of both culturing modes. In this way, the technical efficiency and production technology of the two different culturing model are reasonably evaluated by taking into account not only the difference between their input and output, but also their environmental difference during their farming periods. The results show that in spite of the environmental difference between th two culturing models, shallower pond, smaller size of fish fry and lower shrimp density should make culturing more technically efficient. When cultured in a common environment, the lower the temperature, the worse the culture efficiency is. It indicated that milkfish are highly sensitive to low temperature. Therefore, the MTE and technical gap rate (TGR) of current year harvest farming are significantly higher than those of overwinter harvest farming. Finally, the regression analysis showed that the younger the farmers were, the lower the average pond age was, the larger the freshwater culture area was, and the greater the experience in fish farming was. Thus, the relatively better the MTE is; the younger the farmers, the higher the education level is and the more years of experience in fish farming they have, thus the relatively better the production technology level is. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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15 pages, 832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Technical Efficiency in Exotic Carp Polyculture in Northern India: Conventional DEA vs. Bootstrapping Methods

by Hongzhi Zhang, Ubair Nisar and Yongtong Mu

Fishes 2022, 7(4), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040168 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1698

Abstract

The paper adopts the conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) and bootstrap procedure to analyze the technical efficiency, while tobit regression is applied to identify the factors affecting efficiencies of exotic fish polyculture in Jammu and Kashmir (India). According to the statistical analysis of the variables utilized, there was a lot of variability in the inputs being used by the farmers, with the most variation being in the lime input. The DEA estimated technical efficiency for the sample farms in Jammu and Kashmir is 0.9771 and 0.9741, respectively, with least technical inefficiency of 3%. The bias-corrected (bootstrapped) technical efficiencies found were slightly lower than the ones estimated by conventional DEA. Mean allocative and cost efficiencies for sample farms in the Jammu region were 92% and 75%, respectively, and 84% and 74%, respectively, for farmers in the Kashmir region. Farming experience, age, and education have favorable impacts on technical efficiency of farmers in the state, but family size showed negative impacts. Efficiency improvement will eventually lead to increase in the production providing better scope for marketed surplus. More fisheries extension is suggested for expanding the exotic fish culture in the state making the enterprise a more profitable venture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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17 pages, 947 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effect of Culture Period and Stocking Density on Input Demand and Scale Economies of Milkfish (Chanos chanos) Polycultures with White Shrimp (Penaeus indicus)

by Wei-Tse Pai, Christian Schafferer, Jie-Min Lee, Li-Ming Ho, Yung-Hsiang Lu, Han-Chung Yang and Chun-Yuan Yeh

Fishes 2022, 7(3), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7030110 - 11 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2213

Abstract

Milkfish, Chanos chanos, is one of the major inland cultured fish species in Taiwan. Variations in land resources and climate have led to the application of two distinct culture practices of milkfish polycultures with white shrimp, Penaeus indicus. This study applies a translog cost function model to analyze the production scale economy and input demand price elasticity of four milkfish polyculture systems with two different culture periods (OWC and NOWC) and two different white shrimp–milkfish fry stocking ratios (low SMR: 10–55 fry/ha; high SMR: 56–100 fry/ha). The findings show that the four milkfish polyculture systems require different operational adjustments to increase production while reducing the average culture cost. More specifically, overwinter cultures (OWC) have economies of scale. Farmers may reduce the average cost by expanding the production scale. Non-overwinter polycultures (NOWC) with high SMR are at the stage of decreasing return to scale, meaning that gains in output of milkfish cannot reduce the average cost. In terms of input factor use, farmers of OWC systems with high SMR are sensitive to fluctuations in the fry price since fry constitutes the input factor exhibiting the highest own-price elasticity. Moreover, fry and feed of OWC households with high SMR have high levels of substitutability, whereas fry and other input exhibit substitutability in OWC systems with low SMR. In NOWC farming households with high SMR, fry and capital have substitutability. It is thus recommended to modify the input factor use according to the culture mode and the white shrimp–milkfish stocking density ratio. Moreover, the study found that NOWCs have considerably higher SMR than OWCs, which may lead to a deterioration of the water quality in NOWC fishponds and lower survival rates. It is thus recommended to reduce the SMR to 31:1 to achieve economies of scale in production and increase the survival rate of milkfish and white shrimp. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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21 pages, 6532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Utilization of Fishery Waste in Bangladesh—A Qualitative Study for a Circular Bioeconomy Initiative

by Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder, Mohammad Muslem Uddin, Petra Schneider, MD Hadiul Islam Raiyan, Most. Gulnaher Akhter Trisha, Tabassum Hossain Tahsin and Subeda Newase

Fishes 2022, 7(2), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7020084 - 06 Apr 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6854

Abstract

Living marine resources are limited; therefore, utilizing them sustainably is essential. Not all resources obtained from the sea are used adequately, causing discards, on-board waste, and by-products and waste on land. Recognition of the limited marine resources and increasing environmental pollution has emphasized the need for better utilization of by-products. Waste may include particles of flesh, skin, bones, entrails, shells or liquid stick water. Unfortunately, no fishery waste and by-product management initiatives or projects exist in Bangladesh; by-products are generally thrown into dustbins, ponds, rivers, and the sea. Bangladesh’s fish-processing waste and fishery by-products could be exported, providing a source of foreign currency earnings. Primary and secondary data were collected through documentary analysis, a literature review, and in-depth interviews (n = 129) with fishers and other relevant stakeholders regarding the challenges of Bangladesh’s sustainable fishery by-products and fish-processing waste. The data were analyzed thematically, guided by the most meaningful stories, and show that fish waste, or fishery by-products, should not be considered less valuable than the fish itself but is a precious and profitable resource capable of bringing health, social, economic, and environmental benefits. Our results reveal that fishery waste can expand local communities’, especially fishers’ and other workers’, potential for jobs or alternative income-generating tasks during fishing ban seasons. Finally, suggestions for managing fishery waste and fishery by-products are made to ensure improved and sustainable utilization via a circular bioeconomy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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Review

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15 pages, 2730 KiB

Open AccessReview

Investment Feasibility Analysis of Large Submersible Cage Culture in Taiwan: A Case Study of Snubnose Pompano (Trachinotus anak) and Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

by Hsun-Yu Lan, Farok Afero, Cheng-Ting Huang, Bo-Ying Chen, Po-Lin Huang and Yen-Lung Hou

Fishes 2022, 7(4), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040151 - 25 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3247

Abstract

Onshore farming for premium aquaculture is under scrutiny and criticism partially due to possible causes of adverse environmental impacts on other resource users and the surrounding environment. The best alternative to preventing or minimizing these impacts is to utilize open seawater by large submersible cage culture. The current operation in Taiwan has demonstrated that the culture operation is technically feasible but economically demanding because of high capital and operating costs. Therefore, this study conducted an economic analysis of the expansion of large submersible cage culture by selecting two premium species of snubnose pompano (Trachinotus anak) and cobia (Rachycentron canadum) and examined the profitability of large submersible cage culture investment. This study found that the current operation of four-unit cages highlighted a negative net present value and internal rate of return with a payback period of over ten and six years, respectively. Large submersible cage culture can be financially profitable when its operation unit expands from 8 to 24 units. Increasing unit cages to eight incurred a gross margin of 17.09%, BCR 1.21, with a payback period of 5.36 years. Expanding the operation to 24-unit cages was a potentially lucrative investment with a gross margin of 18.51%, BCR 1.23, PI 2.15, internal rate of return of 20.84%, and a payback period of 3.55 years. Sensitivity analyses revealed that market price and survival rate significantly impact the profitability of large submersible cage culture. Finally, it is suggested that producers could invest in 8-unit cages and maintaining the survival rate of snubnose pompano and cobia at 80% and 40%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaculture Economics and Fisheries Management)

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