Though Kerala and Tamil Nadu are top performers on the Human Development Index, their advances in sustainability and social development do not reach small-scale fishers. Social development of fishing communities can be made possible only through policies and services for poverty eradication, employment generation and social inclusion that address the specific needs of the community and ensure their well-being, through successful governance processes at different levels. Being socially and economically backward and lacking access to development opportunities makes the road to social empowerment difficult for fisherfolk.