This study was carried out in 1989 to monitor the health of the small scale fisheries sector with particular reference to the effect of motorisation in Kerala, India. This report deals with the socio-economic aspects. The study reveals that the fishing sector is in a state of transition, influenced by socio-economic forces operating at the macro level. While they have created new pressures on the coastal economy for survival and further integrated it into the market economy, these forces have not led to a major transformation of it.