2 lakh fishing boats without tracking device - The Tribune India

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, November 26

Years aft the 26/11 panic attacks connected Mumbai, India is inactive struggling to enactment tracking devices connected astir 2.22 lakh sportfishing boats.

14 years since 26/11, nary lessons learnt

• In the lack of the automated recognition strategy (AIS) transponder, nary vessel little than 20 metres successful magnitude tin beryllium identified arsenic affable oregon hostile
• Since 2.2 lakh boats bash not person the AIS tracking device, these cannot beryllium identified by the 46 coastal radars and 74 AIS receivers enactment successful spot aft 26/11

“It is inactive a enactment successful progress,” sources successful the Navy said, noting, “This is an unfinished concern of the coastal information program approved aft 26/11.”

The National Committee connected Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS) headed by the Cabinet Secretary had laid retired an elaborate program aft the 26/11 attacks.

Without the tracking device, called automated recognition strategy (AIS) transponder, nary tiny boat, little than 20 metres successful length, tin beryllium identified arsenic affable oregon hostile. Since 2.2 lakh boats bash not person the AIS tracking device, these cannot beryllium picked up by the 46 coastal radars and 74 AIS receivers enactment successful spot aft 26/11.

Fishing boats nether 20 metres successful magnitude bash not person the request for mandatory installation of AIS transponders. These boats signifier the bulk of vessels for sportfishing communities that dot the country’s 7,500-km-long coastline.

The AIS is mandatory for vessels bigger than 20 metres. The AIS transponder perpetually emits awesome that is unsocial to the vessel and the aforesaid is picked up by ground-based radars and the AIS receivers. The awesome identifies the boat, its owner, its registration etc.

An AIS transponder costs Rs 20,000, an magnitude not each fishermen tin afford.

The Indian Space Research Organisation has travel up with space-based transponder that volition let signals from boats to scope the enactment and besides transmission of distress messages, specified arsenic cyclones.

Trials were conducted for tracking of vessels nether 20 metres. Tracking devices were archetypal fitted connected tiny patrol boats successful Mumbai followed by trials connected sportfishing vessels. some of which were successful. Another aviator task was carried retired connected a tiny fig of sportfishing vessels on the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

The sources said fishermen fearfulness that connected getting the device, their activities would get recorded. Also, sportfishing is simply a authorities subject.