Governance of marine fisheries in India: Special reference to Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Fisheries contribute significantly to India’s national economy (1.21 % of total GDP and 5.3 % of agricultural GDP) and provide a livelihood to an estimated 10 million people. Marine fisheries has undergone a perceptible change due to continuous increase in fishing activities involving introduction of different advanced fishing technologies, gears and fishing fleets. This sustained increase in fishing activities coupled with industrialization has further attributed to the profound impact on the fishery resources affecting the sustainability of the same. This paper attempts to critically analyze the marine fisheries of India with special reference to Tamil Nadu, with an aim to explore appropriate management options for ensuring ecological integrity, better conservation and sustainability of the resources and also livelihood security for the coastal fisher folk. International issues like crossing maritime border (Indo-Srilankan border) have also been discussed.