Kerala, despite being a maritime state, possesses 31 reservoirs covering 29,635 ha that remain under-utilized for fisheries. The state has a per-capita fish consumption of 27 kg and 80% of its population depends on fish for their protein requirements. The state’s marine catch of 5.81 lakh tonnes remains insufficient to meet their dietary requirements and hence there is a huge scope for harnessing reservoir resources. Reservoir fisheries in Kerala are marked by legal pluralism involving departments of Forest, Irrigation, Tourism, Water Authority and Fisheries. Fisheries of a reservoir are influenced by two dimensions: (i) indigenous fish diversity, which ensures ecological resilience and (ii) production derived from stocking, which supports livelihoods. A differential management scheme is presented in this article to tackle the legally pluralistic scenario in Kerala reservoirs. Sustainable development requires science-based management, improved monitoring, expansion of cage culture, participatory governance and conservation of native species. These management schemes ensure Kerala’s substantial reservoir potential for supporting fisher livelihoods.
Paul, T.T., Abdulla, T., Sudheesan, D., 2025. Management of reservoirs in a legally plural scenario. Biotica Research Today 7(11), 297-299.
Indigenous fish diversity, Kerala, Reservoir fisheries, Sustainable fisheries management
Albin Albert, C., Paul, T.T., Das, V.G., Manoharan, S., Sudheesan, D., Meharoof, M., Das, B.K., 2021. Reservoir Fisheries in Kerala - An unmined resource. Biotica Research Today 3(3), 176-180.
