Technical Efficiency of Fishing Activities: A Case Study of Small-Scale Trawling in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

This study estimated the technical efficiency of small-scale trawling in the Mekong Delta using a translog stochastic frontier production function model. Primary data were collected by interviewing the small-scale trawling vessels from January 2020 to May 2021 in the four coastal provinces (Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, and Kien Giang) of the Mekong Delta. The results showed that the average technical efficiency of the surveyed fishermen was approximately 68.8%. Small-scale trawling vessels could increase their production by 31.2% if they operated at full technical efficiency. The captain’s fishing experience, vessel size, the number of nets on a boat, cooperation for inputs, supplies, and problem-solving, fishing registration, operation distance, and the fishing grounds were the main factors influencing the technical efficiency. To improve the technical efficiency of the trawling industry, it is necessary to focus on training the captains in fishing techniques, upgrading and converting large-scale vessels, and linking the market channels for consuming the caught fishery products.