Economic Benefit Analysis of Trawlers and light trap and falling net fishing vessels in South China Sea

Miao Jiang, Shengwei Ma, Zhenh

Abstract

This study analyzed the production records of fishing vessels equipped with either a trawl net or a light trap and falling nets to catch fish at the Spratly Islands Sea in the South China Sea for five years. In the trawling vessels, the annual production output was ¥632,400 (Chinese renminbi yuan, 1¥  0.15USD) and the annual voyage operation cost was ¥685,000. In the light trap and falling net vessels (lighting vessels), the annual production output was ¥602,300, and the voyage operation cost was ¥509,500. During 2011, 2012 and 2016, the economic benefits in the trawlers were significantly lower than those in the lighting vessels operated at the Spratly Islands Sea in the South China Sea. Based on the data analysis of production efficiency between these two types of fishing methods, we conclude that the fishing vessels equipped with the light trap and falling net can provide higher economic benefit than the fish vessels equipped with traditional trawling nets at the Spratly Islands area in the South China Sea.