ABSTRACT
For maritime communities in developing countries there are neither adequate theoretical models on the social impact of technology nor, until recently, has there been much interest by administrators or re searchers in maritime areas compared with the vast amount of work in the agricultural sector. In the case of administrators, there are several reasons for the low levels of maritime awareness. There is the traditional 1landmindedness1 of the administra tor, even in archipelagic regions. Emmerson, in his work in south-east Asia, points out that although he could obtain figures on land area, road and rail length and size of truck, data on sea areas, coastal length and seagoing vessels were rare (Emmerson, 1979:2). Fishing activities generally come under Departments of Agriculture, and even Forestry, in some administrations; and fishermen, when they are identified as a separate occupational group, are seldom disaggregated in statistics into their va rious functional components and areal distribu tions .
