Impact of External Factors on the Efficiency of the Southern border Fishing Industry

Abstract

The study examined the effects of the EU yellow card on fishery activities; primarily was aimed to identify and assess the external factors of the southern border fishing industry. Methodologically, the questionnaires were used, enquiring the opinions about the effects of the EU yellow card on fishing activities. The sample included small and medium-scaled fishery establishments; consisting of fishing boats, fish rafts, and processing fishery industries in the southern border provinces (Songkhla, Pattani, Narathiwat, Satun), each province of 30 fishery operators. Data collection was conducted during September 2016 – July 2018. The descriptive statistics in percentage were implemented in data analysis. The external factors on the southern border fishing industry were identified and assessed, using the descriptive statistics in percentage to analyze problems and to identify the blocks hindering the fishing activities from development. Factors affecting the fisheries establishments were rated from 1 (least impact) to 10 (highest impact) by eight fishery experts to determine average coefficient of external factors on the fishery activities of the establishment

The results showed as follows: the effects of EU yellow card on fishery activities during 2016-2018 resulted in a declined average net profit growth rate by -30 percent per year, decline in average production cost growth rate by 25 percent per year, rate and outcomes of planned fishing boats using per fishing trip by -53.3 percent per year, liquidly growth rate, debt to equity ratio, cost growth rate under the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) by 20 percent per year. Identifying and assessing the external factors of the southern border fishing industry showed as follows: the unfavorable investment climate and laws; representing 94.9 percent, followed by the imbalance between aquatic catching and production volume granted for the transactions (93.4 percent), and lack of unity in fishery activities among the ministry and concerned agencies (87.3 percent). The calculated external factor coefficients for peak impact on the survivability of fisheries establishments and the governmental obligations in the fishing industry (coefficient 0.57) and labor resources (coefficient 0.25)