Socio - economic implications of purse seine operations in Karnataka

Abstract

The total marine fish production in India rose from about 0.9 million tonnes in 1969 to about 1.4 million tonnes in 1978. One of the major reasons for the increase in production is the mechanisation of fishing operations. The present account deals with the findings of an investigation to study the socioeconomic consequence on Rampani fishennen due to commercial purse seine operations in the Kamataka waters. The article incorporates some of the results of an earlier study (Dharmaraja and Jacob, MS) and the information obtained from a special survey in the Kamataka coastal villages recently conducted by a team of scientists of C.M,F.R.I. A perusal of the gearwise estimates of marine fish landings in the Kamataka coast shows that the landings from purseseines have been steadily increasing during the years 1977to 1979 (1st half).