Sustainability of marine fish production in Kerala-A Bioeconomic analysis

Abstract

The study has been undertaken in Kerala State in lndia with an - overall objective of analyzing the bioeconomic conditions of commercially exploited marine fishes for assessing their sustainability in the context of existing management practices. Maximum Sustainable Yield, Maximum Economic Yield and open access levels of yield and effort were analyzed using Gompertz-Fox growth model. The study concluded that the fishing effort exceeded the ecanomically optimal levels and there is unnecessary wastage of money, manpow and fuel in the fishing industry. The study stressed the urgent need for cap&lr@ fisheries management in the State which at present follows an open access fishery where regulations exist only in the form of seasonal -. closure in the monwan season