A comprehensive investigation may be conducted to track the status of the ‘missing’ boats. It is not known whether these boats have been sold to outsiders or have been dismantled. There is no confirmation either about the number of boats moved to various private yards for annual maintenance.
Fisheries department sources said notices would soon be served on owners of ‘missing’ boats. The notices will be prepared based on the registration records of boats currently available with the department.
The inspection of boats was recently carried out by the department in 10 locations under a coastal security initiative. The main intention of the project was to avoid the misuse of various Central and State government schemes by boat owners. There were incidents in which boat operators continued to enjoy government aid after selling off the boats or dismantling them.
Meanwhile, the leaders of various fishermen’s and boat owners’ association leaders said some of the old boats were recently dismantled as the operators were unable to proceed with the business. The closure of registration certificates was delayed by the owners as they would be asked to remit pending registration fees and other dues, they added.
“Apart from this, there are several boats that were destroyed or damaged during rough weather in the sea. It will be clear in the next round of inspections,” said Karichali Preman, vice president of All Kerala Boat Operators’ Association. “However, we hope that about 50% of the ‘missing’ boats can be traced as they are temporarily out of service now due to technical issues,” he added.
A recent inspection carried out by the Fisheries department in the district has brought to light a huge drop in the number of operational fishing boats. Though the official records carry the details of over 1,380 mechanised fishing boats, the field-level inspections have found only about 750 boats. There is no clarity about the condition of 635 boats, which were not presented by the owners before the authorities for direct examination.