Analysis on Economies of Scale in Offshore Fishery Using a Translog Cost Function

This study estimates the cost function through offshore fishery cost data and analyzed the economies of scale of Korea’s offshore fishery. For the estimation of the cost function, translog cost function was used, and the analysis implemented the panel analysis of the panel data. Also, annual economies of scale of the offshore fishery and economies of scale of 14 offshore fisheries in 2015 were analyzed using translog cost function coefficient estimation. The analysis result of economies of scale of Korea’s offshore fishery showed that with the exception of 2003, economies of scale exist in all periods of time. However, as it almost reaches the minimum efficient scale, it was revealed that further scale expansion will bring inefficiency. Thus, according to the analysis result, Korea’s offshore fishery requires a scale reduction policy rather than scale expansion policy, and this seems to coincide with the current government’s fishery reconstruction policy and its practice such as the fishing vessel buyback program. The analysis result of economies of scale of each offshore fishery in 2015 showed that economies of scale of each offshore fishery exists with the exception of five trawl fisheries such as large pair-trawl and large otter trawl and large purse seines. This strongly suggests that the five fisheries and Large Purse Seines with non performing economies of scale need urgent scale reduction and should be the first target for the government’s fishery reconstruction policy.