Evaluation of China’s Marine Aquaculture Sector’s Green Development Level Using the Super-Efficiency Slacks-Based Measure and Global Malmquist–Luenberger Index Models

Abstract

Given China’s rapidly expanding marine aquaculture industry, the associated ecological issues have garnered widespread attention. Therefore, it is crucial to speed up the green growth of marine aquaculture in order to save the environment and use resources sustainably. In order to statically assess and dynamically analyze the green development efficiency levels of marine aquaculture in nine coastal provinces of China from 2012 to 2021, this study uses the non-expected output super-efficiency Slacks-Based Measure model and the Global Malmquist–Luenberger index method. Additionally, it integrates input–output redundancy rates to analyze the causes of efficiency loss. Static efficiency primarily reflects whether a region’s inputs and outputs at a given point in time reach an effective efficiency level, while the level of dynamic efficiency mainly gauges the dynamic changes in the efficiency of green production. The results show that, from 2012 to 2021, China’s marine aquaculture industry’s average static efficiency of green output was 0.705. The southern marine economic zone exhibited the highest static efficiency value in the green development of marine aquaculture, displaying a stepped distribution pattern of “south–north–east” in decreasing order. The input–output redundancy analysis reveals that the primary causes of static efficiency loss in China’s marine aquaculture industry are attributed to varying degrees of redundant inputs and carbon emission outputs. Looking through the lens of the GML index, the annual average growth rate of the green total factor productivity in China’s marine aquaculture stands at 11.1%, with an annual average change in technical efficiency of 1.8%, while the annual average change in technological progress amounts to 9.1%, suggesting that technological advancement is the primary driver of the rise in green total factor productivity in China’s marine aquaculture sector. According to the study, in order to encourage China’s marine aquaculture industry to grow sustainably, efforts should be made not only to accelerate technological advancements but also to enhance technical efficiency. Policies that are specifically designed for the local environment should be developed to support the sustainable development of the marine aquaculture sector and to make resource allocation easier.