Thiruvananthapuram district stretches along the shores of the Arabian Sea for a distance of 78 kms, offering immense scope for the development of fisheries as an important source of earning foreign exchange. Varkala, Anchuthengu, Poonthura, Vizhinjam and Poovar are some of the major fishing centres. The fishermen population is about two lakhs and the catch is around 32,000 tonnes. Anchovies, sardine, catfish, cavanx, mackerel, tuna and carangids are the important species caught in this area. Introduction of mechanized fishing crafts and modern fishing gear has augmented the fish catch.

There are 42 fishermen villages and the total number of households engaged in fishing is about 40,000.

Development activities and welfare programmes are implemented by the Department of Fisheries, Matsyafed, Fish Farmers Development Agency (FFDA), and Brackish Water Fish Farmers Development Agency (BWFFDA).

The inland catch is significant in the district. The newly launched people oriented fish farming scheme aims at fish cultivation in 205 hectares of public ponds. All the 78 panchayats in the district are readied to adopt the scheme under the guidance of local bodies.

The coastal fisheries belt is divided into 42 fisheries villages and most of such villages have fishermen welfare societies formed under the Kerala Fisheries Welfare Society Act of 1980.