Ruining the Commons and Responses of the Commoners: Coastal Overfishing and Fishermen's Action in Kerala State, India

Abstract

"The following paper gives a history of the fishery development process in Kerala state, India. It documents the ruin of the coastal commons caused by the over-intensive fishing techniques which were encouraged by official development plans, and describes the responses of the commoners to the destruction of their resource base. Special emphasis is given to the people's interactions with the state in their efforts to overcome the problems brought by capital-intensive development to the traditional fishing sector. The paper was prepared as part of the UNRISD research programme on Sustainable Development through People's Participation in Resource Management, which explores the dynamics of local level initiatives concerned with environmental degradation, examines and analyses traditionally sustainable resource management practices, and investigates the factors which facilitate or constrain community participation in externally initiated resource management projects and programmes."