An Analysis of Seafood Export Efficiency and Productivity Changes in Asian Countries Reflecting Sustainability and Industrial Capacity

This study examines the seafood export efficiency of 11 Asian countries using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist Productivity Index(MPI), incorporating multiple inputs to address both economic and environmental factors. The inputs include the Ocean Health Index (OHI)’s sustainable fisheries score to account for environmental sustainability, along with the number of fishing vessels, the number of workers in fisheries, and the number of workers in aquaculture to reflect the industry's operational capacity. The output is the value of seafood exports. Results show that Indonesia, India, and Korea maintained high efficiency, while China and Thailand faced inefficiencies due to scale expansion. Vietnam and Japan demonstrated potential for improving pure technical efficiency despite low overall efficiency. The Malmquist analysis revealed productivity gains through technological innovation in India and Japan, while Korea and the Philippines experienced declines. This study underscores the need for policies balancing economic performance with environmental sustainability.