Norms, institutions, and collective action: the changing face of inland fisheries in Kerala

Abstract

This paper examines the continuity and change in the governance of inland fisheries in Kerala. It analyses the transformations taking place in riverine fisheries management due to social, technological, and policy changes. Further, it discusses the significance of contextual factors in the sustainable management of riverine fisheries. The findings of this paper show that contextual factors such as family structure, technological changes, intervention by state government, market, and resource scarcity have significantly influenced sustainable fishing practices. Exploring the dynamics of norms and sanctions that facilitate sustainable resource use, this paper also signifies the limitations of static models of institutions in natural resource management. This paper is based on ethnographic fieldwork among two fishing communities along the Pamba-Achankovil River basin in Kerala, South India. Interview guides and focused group discussion were the primary tools of data collection.