Now Reading: Andhra fishermen skip transponders, triggering boat mishap risks
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Andhra fishermen skip transponders, triggering boat mishap risks
Andhra Pradesh fisheries authorities have identified unsafe practices among fishermen as the primary cause of boat mishaps in the sea. Most critically, thousands of fishermen are switching off satellite-based transponders, provided free…
Andhra Pradesh fisheries authorities have identified unsafe practices among fishermen as the primary cause of boat mishaps in the sea. Most critically, thousands of fishermen are switching off satellite-based transponders, provided free under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, to avoid revealing the location of their catch to rivals. Other causes include boats unfit for voyage, lack of life jackets and buoys, battery limitations, and unskilled crews.
Of Andhra's 23,842 motorised boats, the Centre allocated transponders to 8,305, of which 7,892 have been installed. Officials are recommending high-capacity batteries and solar power solutions. The East Godavari fishermen's cooperative has asked the government to follow Karnataka's model of solar-powered boats and Tamil Nadu's practice of equipping vessels with satellite phones. The state recorded 248 fishermen deaths between 2020 and 2026, with more fatalities in the Bay of Bengal than the Arabian Sea.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The state fisheries department's findings point to a persistent gap between policy intent and on-water behaviour. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, launched in 2020 with a Rs 20,000 crore outlay, has distributed free transponders to less than a third of Andhra's 23,842 mechanised boats. The key obstacle is not cost but a cultural distrust: fishermen believe switching on the device reveals their catch location to competitors. This trade-off between safety and livelihood is hard to overcome with awareness drives alone. Making transponders mandatory through an amendment to the 1995 Andhra Marine Fishing Regulation Act would require enforcement capacity that the fisheries department currently lacks. The next critical indicator will be the state government's decision on the solar-power proposal, which Karnataka has already adopted, and whether it links access to fish landing centres with compliance.
Source: deccanchronicle.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
