Experts have stressed on the need for using remote sensing technology and geographic information system for productive fishing in the sea.
Participating in an awareness programme on potential fishing zone (PFZ) advisory’, jointly organised by the Mangaluru-based College of Fisheries and the Karnataka Fisheries Department in Mangaluru on Wednesday, Gangadhar Gowda, professor at Fisheries College, said PFZ advisory helps fishermen to locate the fishing area and reduces the search time by 30-70 per cent. The use of this advisory helps save time and fuel also, he said.
Shivakumar M, professor at Fisheries College, said significant advances have been made in the technology of remote sensing and its application.
Quoting the studies on satellite remote sensing application in Indian fisheries, he said the PFZ advisory uses the parameters such as sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentration in the sea from the remote sensing data. The remote sensing data is provided by the Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).
The INCOIS data has proved to be useful tool for enhancing fish-catch and profit, he said.
Nitin Kumar, president of the trawl boat union of Mangaluru, said that PFZ advisory helps those who take up fishing through purse-seine boats. The advisory gives information only on surface fishing.
He said the experts should also think of using satellite technology for the benefit of trawl boat owners, as the fishing involves bottom trawling.
Ibrahim Bengre, a fisherman from Mangaluru, said that real-time PFZ advisory should be made available to the fishermen while they are on job in the sea. At present, they have to visit the office of the Fisheries Department to get this information, he said.
2015, The Hindu Business Line