The Union government will develop 100 ‘climate-resilient coastal fishermen villages’ across the country to enhance the economic resilience of coastal fishing communities in the face of climate change challenges, Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian has said.

Speaking after inaugurating an awareness workshop and demonstration of drone applications in the fisheries sector at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Kochi on Friday, he said the Government has allocated ₹2 crore per village under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana for the development of essential fisheries infrastructure and facilities.

The initiative will be fully funded by the Central government and is designed to support sustainable economic and livelihood opportunities for fishers, bolster infrastructure, and enhance resilience against climate threats.

The initiative will provide common facilities such as fish drying yards, processing centres, fish markets, and emergency rescue facilities, along with promoting climate-resilient practices such as seaweed cultivation, artificial reefs, and green fuel initiatives, he said.

Game-changer

Stating that drones would emerge as a game-changer in the fisheries sector, the Minister said drones play a pivotal role in managing aquaculture farms, monitoring fish markets, and assessing damage to fisheries infrastructure, particularly during natural disasters when rescue operations are essential.

Underwater drones further elevate their impact by closely monitoring fish behaviour in natural habitats, detecting signs of distress like erratic swimming patterns, providing real-time data that strengthens sustainable fisheries management, he said.

The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, has decided to install transponders in about 1 lakh marine fishing vessels this year across with an outlay of ₹364 crore.

This will provide a two-way communication system enabling real-time tracking of fishing vessels and helping fishermen to send short messages using their Android mobile phone while fishing up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, he said.

The system will provide weather alerts to the fishermen, including cyclone warning during any natural disaster. Indian Space Research Organisation developed this technology indigenously using GSAT 6 satellite.

Information related to potential fishing zone will also be made available to the fishermen on their mobile with the vessel communication and support system. This has been designed to provide access to all features in the regional languages to the fishermen.

The two-way communication system to fishermen and also enable real-time tracking of fishing vessels, including onboard crew, and monitoring of fishing harbours and fish landing centres, Kurian said.

The event featured live demonstration of drone applications in fisheries, including transportation of fishes from the farm, dispensing aqua-feeds and rescue operation.

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