Abstract

Fisheries is a commercially important occupation, impacting the livelihood of 39.9 lakh fishermen in India and 2.3 lakh fishermen in Kerala. Extraction of fisheries in a sustainable manner from sea and oceans ensures their presence for future generations. India stands at seventh position in world marine fish production in the year 2014. Catch of marine fish after the imposition of ban on trawling since 1988 in Kerala has grown at a rate which is three times faster than that before the ban. The usual period of ban on trawling coincides favourably with the spawning period of Mackerel whose catch is the largest in Kerala in 2016.

Keywords: Marine fisheries, Western Indian coast, Maximum sustainable yield.