Responsible fisheries? A response to the 'New Path' of co-governance

The article “Responsible Fisheries: Kerala Fish Workers Open New Path in Co-governance” (EPW, 29 August 2015) argued that the “Kochi Initiative” in Kerala—a collaboration between fishers and government scientists—was a major breakthrough in fisheries governance. We suggest that these authors cheered too soon. Through evidence from coastal Tamil Nadu, we note the history of the debate among fishers on environmental and justice impacts of new technology. Fisher management skills are usually ignored by state agencies which also fail to govern effectively. While co-management is the way to go, it requires more state effort.