This thesis presents the results of a study of the consequences of a Marine Biosphere Reserve in the Gulf of Mannar on the livelihoods of women and their households in the fishing village Chinnapalam. During a three-month period of fieldwork in Tamil Nadu’s coastal district Ramanathapuram (Ramnad), the research focussed on the characteristics of women in a fishing village, the activities of women and their households, their interaction with the natural environment, the livelihood strategies they obtain, their attitude towards conservation and the effects of the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (GOMMBRE) on these. The study reveals that the traditional and historical activities of the population of Chinnapalam are threatened since the declaration of the GOMMBRE in 1989.