Ruining the commons: overfishing and fishworkers' actions in South India
Kurien, J.
Ecologist 23(1): 5-11
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-9631 Document Number: 327446
When commons are degraded by overuse, the result is frequently an economic and ecological crisis. In the coastal marine fishing grounds of Kerala in South India, overfishing has occurred as a result of green access, inappropriate technology, booming demand, state subsidies, and pressure on in-shore waters. Although the financing of modern trawlers has mostly been external, the detrimental consequences of overfishing have been felt most keenly by the local fisherfolk. The responses of these commoners have been diverse, faced as they have been with the dilemma between sustaining a livelihood and sustaining the fishery resource. Ambiguous policies introduced by the state government have done little to resolve the problem. Fishing communities are now reacting by demanding restrictions on inappropriate technologies.