Pandemic Paradox: Positive Effects of COVID-19 on Marine Fisheries in Indian Coastal States

The COVID-19 pandemic, while significantly disrupting the global marine fisheries sector, also presented unique opportunities for positive change. This study moves beyond the prevailing crisis narrative to investigate the beneficial externalities that emerged across India's nine coastal states. Framing the pandemic as a “punctuation" in the sector's equilibrium, we explore how this shock created a "window of opportunity" for adaptation and resilience. Our research is based on a comprehensive pan-Indian survey of 3360 stakeholders, including boat owners, labourers, traders, and women, across 14 strategically chosen coastal districts. We analyzed five key positive impacts, differentiating between temporary and continuing benefits to assess the durability of adaptive shifts. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis was employed to group states and stakeholders based on their shared impact profiles, and these empirical groupings were integrated into a four-quadrant adaptation typology. Our findings reveal significant variation. At the state level, Kerala and Tamil Nadu emerged as 'Strategic Transformers,' enacting deep structural reforms. A second cluster including Gujarat and Maharashtra followed an 'Incipient Transformation' pathway, while West Bengal and Odisha demonstrated 'Nascent Adaptation.' At the stakeholder level, boat owners and traders were identified as 'Strategic Transformers,' leveraging the crisis for long-term reinvestment. Labourers and exporters were 'Emerging Adapters,' focusing on foundational skill-building and new market development. Women and consumers followed an 'Incipient Transformation' path, centered on immediate household well-being. Significantly, no group fell into the lowest adaptation category. The study concludes that the pandemic, despite its challenges, illuminated clear pathways toward a more resilient and equitable fisheries sector. The key policy implication is the urgent need to institutionalize these positive, crisis-induced adaptations to ensure they lead to lasting, structural transformation rather than a return to the pre-pandemic status quo

COVID-19 Marine fisheries Positive externalities, Punctuated Equilibrium, Stakeholder analysis, Coastal states in India, Cluster analysis

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