The rapid growth in the fleet of small mechanised shrimp trawlers in Kerala from 769 trawlers day-1 in 1973 to 3500 trawlers day-1 in 1980 resulted in considerable erosion in the estimated annual net profit trawler-1 from a maximum of Rs. 537.5x10 3 in 1976 to a minimum of Rs. 5805 in 1982. This study proposes to optimise the fleet at 1460 trawlers day-1 at which the net profit day-1 for the trawler sector in Kerala would be Rs. 2.127x10 6 (or Rs. 457.305x10 6 year-1 of 215 fishing days). At this economically optimum level of fishing effort, the yield from trawl fishery is estimated at 91323 tons, comprising 44931 tons of shrimps and 46392 tons of finfish. The optimum number of trawlers may be chosen each year by about March or April by lot. The surplus vessels may be depoloyed in alternative fisheries such as for whitebait, rock perches, red snappers, breams, cephalopods, sharks and larger pelagics.
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