Assessing the Competitiveness of EU Mediterranean Fisheries and Aquaculture Industries

An attempt is made to evaluate the competitiveness of the fisheries and aquaculture industries of some Mediterranean countries. Revealed Comparative Advantage indices of Italian, French, Greek, Portuguese and Spanish fish products are estimated, in order to gain new insights regarding the position of these products in the market of the European Union, in terms of competitiveness. In addition, this study sheds light on the evolution of competitiveness over the last decade. The estimated Comparative Advantage indices reveal that there is a wide range of competitiveness among fish products in Mediterranean countries. In addition, almost all countries alter their competitive ranking throughout the study period. Consequently, Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture constitute a dynamic economic sector that can be easily affected by changed in the marketing environment.