Consequent to the introduction of purse seiners in the Karwar waters, lesser sardine catches showed improvement forming 4-5 % of total marine fish production. Along with major pelagic fish resources of oil sardine and mackerel, this group also supports fishermen of this region economically. To understand the extent of fishing stress on the lesser sardine resources viz. S. gibbosa and S. dayi, studies on yield-per-recruit (Y/R) and the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for five years 1979 through 1983 were made. The MSY levels for both the species mentioned above will be reached at 1.0 F and 1.8 F respectively. The standing stocks and the potential average annual yields in the fishing grounds for both the species were also estimated and details are presented in this paper.