Fishermen get alert transmitter devices
27 July 2012
biswabrata goswami
DIGHA, 27 JULY: The Indian Coast Guard and the state fisheries department today asked fishermen to install distress alert transmitters on fishing boats for the personal safety of the fishermen and the security of the nation.
State fisheries minister Abu Hena, Union minister of state for rural development Sisir Adhikari, Coast Guard deputy inspector general S Chowhan and additional director of fisheries (marine) Surojit Bag launched the new system in Digha. They distributed the devices to 20 fishermen.
The transmitters were developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, and will soon be given to 500 more fishermen who regularly venture out into the deep sea.
Mr Bag, the additional director of fisheries, said the device has four buttons for signaling emergencies. One for fires, one for medical problems, one for a man-overboard and one to signal that the boat was in danger of sinking. The transmitters are equipped with global positioning devices. Once a button is pressed, it should take 45 seconds for the device to connect with a satellite that could beam a signal back to Earth. The Coast Guard’s regional headquarters has set up an alert reception centre.
The transmitter can send continuous alerts for 24 hours ~ once every five minutes, on average ~ while the staff at the rescue centre tracks the boat as it appears on a GIS map on their computer screens, a senior state fisheries officer said.
Mr Hena said that, ideally, all of the hundreds of boats in three coastal districts should have transmitters.
"It will help us locate the fishermen who go out to sea and sometimes venture into international territory. In such cases the device, which is programmed to issue warnings, can help us locate them." Talking about pirate attacks, Mr Hena said: "Distress alert transmitters are to be installed in the coastal areas to warn the coastal security about pirate raids as well as impending natural calamities like Aila. This warning device will be installed in both North and South 24-Parganas, also." Fishing trawlers will be painted orange and black to distinguish them from other vessels, he said.
DIGHA, 27 JULY: The Indian Coast Guard and the state fisheries department today asked fishermen to install distress alert transmitters on fishing boats for the personal safety of the fishermen and the security of the nation.
State fisheries minister Abu Hena, Union minister of state for rural development Sisir Adhikari, Coast Guard deputy inspector general S Chowhan and additional director of fisheries (marine) Surojit Bag launched the new system in Digha. They distributed the devices to 20 fishermen.
The transmitters were developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, and will soon be given to 500 more fishermen who regularly venture out into the deep sea.
Mr Bag, the additional director of fisheries, said the device has four buttons for signaling emergencies. One for fires, one for medical problems, one for a man-overboard and one to signal that the boat was in danger of sinking. The transmitters are equipped with global positioning devices. Once a button is pressed, it should take 45 seconds for the device to connect with a satellite that could beam a signal back to Earth. The Coast Guard’s regional headquarters has set up an alert reception centre.
The transmitter can send continuous alerts for 24 hours ~ once every five minutes, on average ~ while the staff at the rescue centre tracks the boat as it appears on a GIS map on their computer screens, a senior state fisheries officer said.
Mr Hena said that, ideally, all of the hundreds of boats in three coastal districts should have transmitters.
"It will help us locate the fishermen who go out to sea and sometimes venture into international territory. In such cases the device, which is programmed to issue warnings, can help us locate them." Talking about pirate attacks, Mr Hena said: "Distress alert transmitters are to be installed in the coastal areas to warn the coastal security about pirate raids as well as impending natural calamities like Aila. This warning device will be installed in both North and South 24-Parganas, also." Fishing trawlers will be painted orange and black to distinguish them from other vessels, he said.
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