Technological Change and the Development of Marine Fishing Industry in India: A Case Study of Kerala

Fisheries management in the developing world is concerned largely with the problem of creating a commercial or industrial fishery sector. Fisheries development in India was initiated through a programme of planned technological change. The state of Kerala which is still the primary producer and exporter of marine fish from the country has been the focal point of this developmental strategy. Fisheries development in the state has not been studied in much detail in the past. This book born out of an earlier doctoral study is a vast treatise on the subject of technological change and economic development. It gives a blend of the economic theory of technological change and the process of fisheries development in the state of Kerala. The book, starting with a brief introductory chapter, enunciates the global literature on fisheries development, the conceptual framework and methodology of the study, the state of the art of the traditional sector of the primary marine fishing industry of Kerala, the process of technological change in the marine fishing industry of the state, their indicators, effects and characteristics, all in good succession and in great detail. The book in its core argues that the development achieved by the industry was limited and it was restricted by the limited growth strategy followed by the state. A concluding chapter of this book gives an array of findings of the study and offers valuable suggestions to the policy maker. With a post-script, it keeps the reader abreast of the developments in the industry. The book, apart from its theoretical underpinning, is rich with empirical data garnered from various sources. It also offers an excellent bibliography on the subject. Its language is smooth. It should be appealing to students, teachers, scholars and policy makers everywhere.