From the archive record
With a coastline of 590 km, Kerala has over 2.5 lakh fishermen and six lakh people dependent on fishing related activities like processing and fish vending for their livelihood. Kerala contributes about 20 percent of the country's marine fish landings. The state has rich inland water bodies including 44 rivers, 30 major reservoirs, fresh ponds, tanks, backwater bodies and brackish water area. Over the years, the government has initiated several policies to ensure the use of better and more modern technology by the sector. This includes greater mechanisation of fishing crafts, use of synthetic gear and advances in electronic navigation with the use of sound echo as well as GPS. These measures have resulted in the development of better infrastructure for the fisheries sector. The state now h