Seafood is produced using two main technologies: capture fisheries and aquaculture. Limited data exists to make direct comparisons about their performance in economic and social dimensions. Using a unique dataset on 156 fisheries and 69 aquaculture case studies collected with the Fishery Performance Indicators (FPI) and Aquaculture Performance Indicators (API), fisheries and aquaculture are examined across a suite of economic and social variables. The results show that aquaculture sectors scored better in several economic dimensions including product enhancement, waste, and risk, indicative of lower volatility in price and production compared to fisheries as well as better infrastructure and logistics to support value addition and prevent loss. These results collaborate a growing literature that shows how aquaculture has profoundly changed seafood markets.
The results also show that the aquaculture sector has a higher degree of vertical integration, more competitive markets, and lower use of non-tariff barriers compared to fisheries, although overall trade did not differ. Aquaculture showed higher wealth generation in production assets; however, wealth generation in post-harvest assets was similar to fisheries, which may suggest overlap in the processing sector. Capture fisheries performed better in several dimensions including higher collective action and managerial and labor returns compared to alternatives. Despite the differences in returns, aquaculture and fisheries scored similarly on access to healthcare and education as well as degrees of foreign ownership and labor.