Unintended consequences of a seasonal ban on fishing effort in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, India

Abstract Fisheries regulations can have a host of implications for both fishers and the fishery they aim to protect. Oftentimes there are unanticipated adaptations employed by resource users in the face of restrictions. Unintended consequences of fisheries regulations are examined through the case of an annual 45-day closed fishing season in India. Using a longitudinal study design over the course of three seasons: before, during and after the 2015 seasonal fishing ban, seasonal activities calendars and semi-structured interviews were employed to randomly selected participants (n = 171) within two fishing villages in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India. Data suggests that some fishers shift their fishing effort to unrestricted gears during the ban and that post-ban race for fish is exemplified by all gear types, though an illegal, unregulated gear type, locally termed surukku valai exhibits the largest increase in effort. Lack of fishing-related employment options during the ban period leads to high levels of unemployment and food security concerns. Using data on average landings for each gear type, post-ban fish catch is estimated and impacts to local fish populations are projected.