Comparative analysis of first and second stage data envelopment approaches: Performance of marine capture fisheries in the European Union

I explored harvest productivity and economic efficiency of marine fisheries across European Union member states using comparative first and second-stage data envelopment analyses, linear programming, and econometric models, based on a panel data set of technical, social, and economic data between 2008 and 2020 when the first implications of the global Covid-19 outbreak began in the European Union. During the period, harvest productivity increased for 52 percent of the 21 member states between 2008 and 2020, with an average economic efficiency of 0.76. The economic efficiency and harvest productivity of European Union member states' fisheries fluctuated, with noticeable declines throughout the study period. Gross domestic product per capita, population size, and aquaculture production were related to performance metrics. The results are aimed to guide European Union fisheries managers to better understand how improvements in harvest productivity and economically efficient performance are achieved without constant reliance on subsidization, over-allocation, and overexploitation.