Fisheries department to go in for modernisation

In a move which is long overdue, the Tamil Nadu government’s fisheries department has set in motion a few initiatives to modernise inland and deep sea fishing, according to official sources. As per officials the department, “The move will introduce fishermen to modern fishing equipment and thus enable them to earn more.” 

The department has sought tenders for provision of two fish processing mid-sea carrier mother vessels. These ships will operate in mid sea for a minimum of two days.

Similar to what is practised by fishermen in the UK and US, the mother vessel will provide subsidised fuel to the fishing fleet at midsea, in addition to providing them with food, water and ice. 

The carrier mother vessel will offload fish from fishing trawlers nearly 100 nautical miles off the Kanyakumari coast and then deliver the catch to fishermen’s representatives for a fee which should not exceed more than six per cent of the cost of the fish catch. 

Sources said, “the carrier vessel should have a storage capacity of 50 tonnes, have a chilling plant of similar capacity, in addition to a 20 tonne ice-making plant.” Deck infrastructure should include a five-tonne crane to offload fish. This is a far cry from the present fishing trawlers used by fishermen in TN’s 13 coastal districts. 

The current system uses rudimentary gear to ensure that the catch is returned to the shore within two days for which ice is used to ensure fish preservation. Sources said, “stateof-the-art fish processing through private sector investments would add value to the fish catch and improve the lot of their community.” 

This measure is in line with CM Jayalalithaa’s seeking of Central assistance for tuna long liners, specially for fishermen of Rameswaram who usually fall foul of the Sri Lankan Navy for intruding into their territory. 

Similar to the carrier mother vessel, tuna long liners can stay in the deep sea for quite a few days thereby ensuring a higher catch and eliminating the need for venturing into foreign waters. 

“The department plans to provide FRP (fibre reinforced plastic) coracles of 7.5 feet circumference and 14 feet long FRP catamarans through subsidy to inland fishermen as soon as tender formalities are through. They would be issued to fishermen in Bhavani Sagar in Coimbatore district and also in Madurai, Dharmapuri and Trichy districts” sources concluded.