Fisheries play a crucial role in the Kerala economy. Although the coastline is only about
one tenth of the coastline of India, landings in Kerala constitute more than 30 pet of the
country's total marine fish production. This sector provides the main source of income for
about 147900 active fishermen and for almost an equal number engaged in the activities of
processing and marketing. Earnings from export of marine production from Kerala have
during the past two decades increased considerably. The marine fisheries sector is therefore
one of the major concerns of the economic planners in the state of Kerala and the object of A
various development programmes
