Sardine economy of Kerala: Paradigms and
Perspectives

Abstract

Among the commercially important marine fish species harvested in India, oil sardine occupies the
foremost position along with mackerel in terms of landings and consumption. About 85 per cent of the
Keralites eat fish and hence its role in the economy is of paramount importance in the present scenario of
escalating fish landings along with the fluctuating sardine landings. The primary data was collected from
600 households of the three major cities of Kerala using the simple random sampling method. The
demand – supply gap of sardine in Kerala is analysed and forecasted which indicates widening demandsupply
gaps. The study reveals that there is boundless sardine demand-supply gap in Kerala economy
which was usually ironed up by the interstate fish business. Moreover, the study inspects the effect of
bait industry upon the food security, fishing pressure, and reduced post-harvest job opportunities