Effects of gross tonnage and engine power on fishing efforts and economic indicators of trawl vessels operating the Central Black Sea region

2260-2266Present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of gross tonnage and engine power on economic efficiencies of trawl vessels with different gross tonnages (69, 92, 107, 115), and engine powers (550and 416 HP). Gross revenue, annual operation cost, profits, and profit rate as percent of investment costs were recorded as 236.696, 187.014, and 49.682 US$, and 21% for Vessel-A (69GT-550HP); 316.985, 249.231, and67.753 US$, and 20% for Vessel-B (92GT-550HP); 297.156, 231.031, and 66.125 US$, and 14%for Vessel-C (107GT-416HP);269.395, 200.922, and 68.473 US$, and 28% for Vessel-D (115GT-416 HP), respectively. Profit for the fishing activity could be compensated by increasing engine power from 416 to 550 HP when gross tonnage of the vessel declined around 15%. Further reduction of the vessel’s gross tonnage by 35%, decreased the annual profit by 25%, where the increase of engine power from 416 to 500 HP was not sufficient to compensate the annual profit of the vessel