Kerala was one of the first states to implement stringent laws against capturing fish under the minimum legal size (MLS). Now it is instituting similar rules for the inland fishing sector as well. While these measures are widely appreciated by those working in the sector as steps to curb exploitation of the fish resources, they also point out that several other key issues remain unaddressed. The Kerala government implemented MLS rules for 58 varieties of fish in 2017 – 18, after a drastic drop in the catch of several key commercial fish, especially oil sardines. In 2019 too, the state saw 15.4 per cent decline in fish production from 6.43 lakh tonnes in 2018 to 5.44 lakh tonnes in 2019 according to data provided by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). Oil sardine and Indian mackerel, two major commercial fish in the state, dropped by nearly 50 per cent. Sunil Muhammed, a former principal scientist with CMFRI, said that while the enforcement against catching fish below the MLS was made effective by the authorities, one grey area was the size of the net. Though the rules only permit use of square shaped nets with size above 25 mm and 35 mm, use of diamond shaped nets with smaller dimensions is quite rampant. Muhammed says that enforcement should focus on net size, rather than penalising boats afer they catch the juvenile fish. Meanwhile, boat operators in Kerala allege that it is mainly the fishing boats from neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu that exploit the juvenile fish, to supply the thriving fish meal industry in these states. All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association state president Peter Mathias said that after the strict enforcement against violation of MLS, there was a considerable decline in the illegal catch of small fish. The decision to implement regulations like MLS for inland fishing is hence a welcome move. However, he pointed out that there are other serious issues that affect the fish production of the state, like dumping of solid and chemical waste and obstructing the natural flow of water by constructing dams. In 2018 – 19, the Kollam coast in South Kerala alone saw the removal of 55,000 kilogram plastic waste under the ‘Suchithwa Sagaram’ (Clean Sea) initiative. Though the government decided to extend the project across the state, it was not very effective due to the lack of focused support of the authorities.