Resumo:
Guinea Bissau is a country of almost two million inhabitants and an area of 36,125 km², located on the west coast of Africa, in the part where the waters are richest, mainly in terms of diversity and biological productivity typical of tropical regions. The wealth of Guinean-Bissau’s is due to the existence of an extensive and shallow continental shelf, great diversity of ecosystems, a coastline dotted with numerous estuaries, rivers, and the presence of mangroves that line the coast. Despite the prominent position of fishing in the economy of Guinea-Bissau, the fishing sector, including artisanal fishing, lacks political support to fulfill its role in the socio-economic context. Evidence supports the fact that the local artisanal fishermen relies on fishing as their last means of subsistence for themselves and their families, as a way overcome financial difficulties, the low levels of social integration, limited levels of education, and healthcare. This study aims to identify and analyze the technical, economic, and the level of technical efficiency relative to socio-efficiency of artisanal fishermen in the Autonomous Sector of Bissau, as a tool for management and development of the artisanal fishing sector in Guinea-Bissau, Africa. Knowledge of the socio-economic profile, technical socio-efficiency, and productive structure of artisanal fishermen in Guinea-Bissau is not only of significant importance to policy makers but also provides a link to concepts of technical, economic, social, and environmental efficiency. Furthermore, it raises awareness of factors related to the inefficiency of artisanal fishermen and provides insight into possible improvement in the determinants of these inefficiencies. Primary data was collected through questionnaires applied to a sample of 124 artisanal fishermen in the Autonomous Sector of Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. Tabular and descriptive analysis were used, as well as the calculation of economic indicators, under deterministic conditions, socio-efficiency, using the method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and, finally, homogeneity of producers calculated by the cluster analysis method. The results showed marked differences in terms of age, number of family members, and management capacity and, consequently, profit generation in the fishing production scope. Based on economic indicators, the profit margin of producers, in general, was heterogeneous, with noticeable differences in the minimum, average, and maximum profit values found of -150,907.68 BRL, 78,564.28 BRL, and 614,612.32 BRL, respectively, with 18.54% of producers indicating losses. The average level of technical efficiency and technical socio-efficiency of artisanal fisherman in the Autonomous Sector in Bissau, the variable return to scale model, were 91.45%, 97.55%, and 99.82%, respectively.
