As a part of a nationwide programme sponsored under the Pradhan Mantri Matysa Sampada Yojana, the state fisheries department is fixing transponders to the mechanised and motorised fishing boats. A two way system, these transponders help fishing boats in distress to reach out for help and follow the national hydrographic chart to prevent crossing the maritime borders. Equally importantly, it will detect nesting areas of endangered species, the Olive Ridley turtles.
“We have received 650 transponders recently. So far, we have fixed them to 200 boats. The district has around 687 mechanised and motorised boats. This process would be completed by Dasara,’’ said joint director of fisheries, G Vijaya. The boats are already fitted with GPS and VHF sets. The systems can be operated via mobile phones. Under the Central scheme, the transponders are being given free of cost to the boats while the boat owners have to buy VHF and GPS systems.
Awareness is being created on these through a workshop in the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on Monday. The fisheries department would acquaint the master trainers with these systems and the trainers would then impart the technical knowledge of operating the equipment to the sailing teams. They will have to follow the standard operational procedures laid out by the Indian Coast Guard. Deputy director of the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training (CIFNET), Hrushikesh Besoi, said the equipment can be linked to a mobile phone, which would display several options of requirement.
If the fishermen do not possess mobile phones, they can push the red button on the transponder which would immediately send a signal to the hub located at Chennai and managed by Isro. The hub would immediately pass on the messages to nearest ships and the Coast Guard. The battery of the transponder would last for 24 hours and it can be charged with current from the running engine of the boat. “The transponder can prevent boats from inadvertently crossing the maritime borders with Pakistan on the west coast, Bangladesh on the east and Sri Lanka on the south,’’ Besoi said.