For tens of thousands of fishermen along the Kerala coast, the mobile phone will no longer be a mere communication gadget, it could be a lifesaver and livelihood improvement tool.
The Fisher Friend programme, launched by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), is set to enter the next phase in Kerala with the introduction of a Smartphone application by the yearend. Aimed at minimising risks for fishermen at sea and improving their livelihood, the programme currently uses voice SMS and a 24x7 helpline service to transmit disaster alerts, information about local weather conditions and advisories on potential fishing zones.
Running on the Android platform, the Fisher Friend mobile app is designed to provide not only real time data on weather conditions and disaster alerts for cyclone, tsunami and high waves but also movement of fish shoals and market price for different varieties of fish at various landing centres. Jointly developed by MSSRF, Qualcomm and TCS, it enables fishers to map their navigation route using GPS and helps them avoid conflict by alerting them when they are nearing international waters.
“Fishermen in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh are using the mobile app to navigate danger zones like rocks, sunken ships and dead coral reefs,” says S. Velvizhi, coordinator, MSSRF. “It also relays information on emergency contacts, government schemes, news, policies and latest developments.”
Meanwhile, INCOIS is preparing to install automatic weather stations at Tangassery and Kozhikode to supplement the network of wave rider buoys and tidal gauges generating real time information on tides, waves, ocean currents, sea surface temperature for the Fisher Friend project. To be commissioned in September, the stations will provide information on the local weather conditions in the coastal areas, according to T.M. Balakrishnan Nair, Head, Information Services and Ocean Sciences group, INCOIS. The data will use satellite transmission to avoid disruption in Internet traffic or other modes of communication, he said.
