Fishing Technology Employed in the fishery sector has been quite diverse. Different types of fishing tools such as fishing craft – gear combinations have been in use to suit the multiplicity of fish species, their seasonality, and the heterogeneous oceanographic conditions. Before the introduction of mechanised gillnetters and bottom trawlers through the Indo-Norwegian Project (INP) in the early 1950s, fishing technology remained quite artisanal and used only manual oaring or sailing for propulsion. The other hallmarks of this technology were the use of selective and passive gears, low capital commitments, use of traditional knowledge and fishing skills, fishing more for subsistence and the local markets, and an egalitarian ownership of fishing implements in which owners were mostly owner-workers. Traditional was the term popularly used in Kerala to represent this sector. The converse was the case in the mechanised sector. However, at present, still more ramifications and complexities are observed in the fishing technology. Within the traditional sector itself another segment has developed since 1980, namely, a motorised sector with crafts fitted with outboard motors for propulsion. As an offshoot of motorisation the gear and craft size have increased enormously with commensurate increase in capital investment. Besides, many of these units operate gears known as ring seines and mini trawls that are not legally permitted. Thus the term traditional has become diluted in this segment. Nonetheless, some of the major characteristics pertaining to traditional sector such as the livelihood motive of fishing operation, worker – owner pattern of ownership, labour intensive fishing, same old institutional arrangements etc still hold here. Moreover, fishermen themselves, their organisations and also the government still considers motorised sector too as a part of the traditional sector. Therefore, in our analysis, the term traditional sector, would refer to both non-motorised and the motorised segments. In the mechanised sector too many technical diversifications have taken place. Though it started with 32 footer gillnetters and bottom trawlers, their sizes have increased to 42-45 feet; later, purse seiners have been added; and of recent, an ultra modern sector of very large vessels (even 64 feet long) with fish-finding devices and other sophisticated technology is also coming up. ( Antony Paul, Centre for development studies , Trivandrum, Kerala, India)
