Fisher regulations along the Coromandel coast: a case of collective control of common pool resources

A string of fishing communities along the east coast of India recently decided to ban the use of a new kind of fishing gear, a snail net, in spite of its obvious profitability. The logistics of this measure as well as the reasons which inspired it are investigated in this article. It is argued that the banning of gear is part of a customary system of fisheries regulation and is rooted in local perceptions of ecological interdependency as well as conceptions of social justice. The case demonstrates, for an old and important fishery, that decision-making structures within a community of common property users are suited for taking action towards what is perceived to be a collective good.