A Study On Capacity And Economic Efficiency Of Coastal Small-scale Fisheries In China

The fishery resource is widely developed all over the world，the problem of excessproduction capacity widely exists in fishery. Excess capacity is widely considered to be the maincause of overfishing. Since the1990s, the FAO has taken the fishing capacity as a problem, someinstitutions and policies are also committed to reducing the capacity of the fishing boats. But mostfishery policy of the countries tends to capital-intensive large fisheries, and neglects fishingcapacity problem in the small-scale fisheries. According to the FAO’s latest statistics, more than90%of the world’s fishermen are engaged in small fisheries. Fishery is an important industry ofnational economy in China, and we generally take small-scale fisheries as a part of the traditionalcoastal fisheries. As a developing country, the coastal small-scale fisheries in China face the sameplight that the resources are overfished and ecosystem declines rapidly. This crisis is not onlyrelate to the future of the fishery development in our country, but also related to the survive ofcoastal fishermen. The critical issue of solving overfishing in fishery resources is the managementof fishing capacity. So it is necessary to take an empirical research of capacity utilization andtechnical efficiency of small-scale fisheries. Set up to a standard of fishery management systemmakes practical significance.The article takes coastal small-scale fisheries as the research object. First of all, combineswith the international definition of small-scale fisheries, the author try to define coastalsmall-scale fisheries of China as "the coastal fishing activities of the non-town fishersusing personnel small vessels (below60horsepower) or non-motor vehicle fishing vesselsengaged in fishing". From the angle of Common-pool Resources and Ecological protectionmanagement theory to analyze the causes of fishing capacity, the theories can be used to deal withexcess capacity problem. In addition, this paper introduces DEA theory’s applicability incalculating and evaluating fishing capacity as well as efficiency.Secondly, in this paper, the author using the DEA model, take a empirical analysis offishing capacity, technical efficiency, scale efficiency and capacity utilization in coastalsmall-scale fisheries: set assessment model of fishery capacity and efficiency; take the data of11coastal provinces from2003to2012in China as samples; select catch as output variable, thenumber of fishing vessels, tonnage and horsepower of vessels as input variables, and set thenumber of fishing vessels as variable investment. By using On-Front calculation software, the empirical results show the status of costal small-scale fisheries in China. On the whole, capacityutilization is low and fishing capacity is surplus. Technical efficiency is different among provinces,and scale efficiency declines in a row in recent years. Again, the author selects Southeast, Japan,South Africa, and Europe as representative areas of coastal small-scale fisheries, and summarizesthe status of the management measures on fishing capacity, as well as the successful experiencewhich are worthy of referencing for our country.Finally, this article evaluates the effects of five major management systems currently, whichinclude Summer fishing moratorium,"double control" system, fishing permit system, crackingdown illegal fishing, fishing quota system, repurchasing fishing boat system with subsidies inChina. And put forward that fishery management system in China basically is system of“government leading and command”. To solve the problem of excessive capacity and loweconomic efficiency in coastal small-scale fisheries, we should have a sustainable path. We mustestablish a comprehensive system of fishery management, which include fisheries managementand fisheries recourses management. First, should establish a new fishery classification system,define coastal small-scale fisheries and list it to fisheries law. Second, give coastal fishermencertain fishery right on the basis of the distribution of fishery, and establish collective organizationof small-scale fisheries based on the fishery right. Third, build a common management of thegovernment, fishery cooperation organization and small fishermen mechanism, which coordinatesthe relationship between making a living of fishermen and the development of the fishing village.Finally, in the waters of declined costal fisheries resources, the government should reduce thenumber of small-scale boats and small-scale fishers, establish marine protected areas to inhibitrecession of fishery resources, and coordinate the relationship of resources recovery, protectionand development.