A Pathway to Sustainable Development: The Relationship Between Fishery Digitalization and the Green Transformation of Fisheries

Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2011–2024, this study assesses the digitalization and green transformation of fisheries using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method and the super-efficiency epsilon-based measure (EBM) model, respectively. A two-way fixed-effects model is then employed to examine the relationship between the digitalization and green transformation of fisheries. The results reveal a positive association that persists across a series of robustness and endogeneity checks. Analysis of potential mediating channels indicates positive indirect associations through aquaculture intensification, aquatic product processing efficiency, and fishery industrial structure upgrading, whereas the fishing efficiency channel is not statistically supported. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive association is stronger in Eastern China and becomes more pronounced as regional innovation and human capital levels increase. Spatial analysis further reveals spatial dependence in the green transformation of fisheries and a positive association between local fishery digitalization and the green transformation of fisheries in neighboring regions.