Kerala sets up Committee for Safety of Fishers

Kerala’s Fisheries Department has constituted a seven-member committee to study and submit report on methods to resolve issues related to safety at sea.

About the committee

• Committee is headed by P. Sahadevan who was former additional director of fisheries.
• Committee will study and submit report on methods to resolve issues related to safety at sea, coastal security and vessel monitoring systems (VMS).
• It will also look after illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• Committee will also analyse the ”latest trends and internationally available options”.

Why committee was constituted?

Kerala’s Fisheries department decided to constitute the committee as long-term solution because of increasing instances of fishing-related accidents at sea, especially during monsoons; problems related to coastal security and illegal & unregulated fishing.

Who are the members of committee?

Committee comprises of Superintendent of Police (Marine Enforcement); Joint executive director of Agency for Development of Aquaculture (ADAK); Joint director & assistant directors (projects) of Fisheries Department and Registrar of Kerala University of Fisheries & Ocean Studies (KUFOS).

What are the concerns?

Currently, only fishing boats owned by entrepreneurs have been equipped with electronic safety aids. As a result, fishermen going astray across the ocean are pulled away by strong currents. They end up landing in neighbouring coastal countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Further, porous coastline poses a threat on national security. So, an effective vessel monitoring and surveillance system in Kerala is need of the hour to resolve these issues.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2021