Marine fisheries in Kerala

Abstract

The 1980s was an important period in the development of marine fisheries in Kerala. In the first half of this period rapid motorisation of the indigenous crafts with outboard engines made the traditional sector more efficient. Outboard engines became an integral part of the indigenous fisheries and the fishers could extend their activities to more distant and deeper waters. Slowly they started discarding their old dugouts and going for plank-built boats with transformed stern to fix their outboard engines conveniently. In the latter half of the 1980 s a new gear called ringseine became very popular in exploiting the pelagic resources and replaced the boatseines to a very great extent.