A study was conducted to analyse the economic efficiency of mechanised fishing in Chennai in Tamil Nadu along the east
coast of India. The craft and gear combinations over the years witnessed dramatic changes on account of the huge cost
of fishing, duration and depth of operations and maintenance. The mechanised gillnetters showed tremendous increase
among the fishing fleet in Chennai mainly due to their assured returns and consistent marketing margin. The present study
specifically compares the economic efficiency of mechanised gillnet units and trawlers operating from Chennai. Average
operating cost and net income per day for the multiday (MD) gillnetters were `17,757 and 6,613 whereas in the case of
multiday trawlers, the operating cost and net income per day were `18,095 and `3,219, respectively. Targeted tuna fishing
and better price realisation in the value chain have contributed to better performance of gillnet units. The higher fuel
requirement observed for MD trawlers as compared to MD gillnetters is attributed to long distance travelling and the use of
mechanical power for propulsion as well as for fishing. The study found that efficiency measures in terms of labour, capital
and fuel have established the supremacy of mechanised gillnetters
