Análisis de la capacidad de producción en pesquerías artesanales: Caso Galápagos

Abstract

CONDITION FOR PUBLICATION OF PROJECT. The project aims to analyze the production potential and technical efficiency of the artisanal fishing fleet in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). This arises from the problem of overexploitation of marine resources and the urgent need to guide decisions toward sustainability. To this end, the Stochastic Production Frontier (SPF) methodology was applied under a Cobb-Douglas model, using panel data up to 2006. Based on the Chow test, significant differences were determined between towed and non-towed vessels, justifying the estimation of separate production frontiers. The results showed significant technical inefficiency in both categories, which explains much of the observed variability in production. On average, non-towed vessels achieved a higher efficiency level (0.587) compared to towed vessels (0.472). Furthermore, the number of divers was confirmed as a key production factor, while gross tonnage had no significant effect. Vessel age, on the other hand, was associated with increased inefficiency. In conclusion, both fleets are operating below their productive potential, although the non-towed vessels are closer to the technological frontier. Keywords: Technical Efficiency, Galapagos, Stochastic Production Frontier, Inefficiency.