Fisherfolk from Prakasam like elsewhere in the country are, perhaps, one of the most vulnerable and isolated communities with no livelihood security.
A mobile app developed by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services(INCOIS) as a knowledge partner can make all the difference to the lives of fishermen who have to grapple with a host of issues including fast depletion of marine resources and climate change, says Dr. Sourav Maity, scientist with the INCOIS of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.
All that the fishermen should have is an android mobile phone with data pack on their hand while going for fishing in the sea. They could save on diesel, their main expenditure, by getting precise information on potential fishing zones, Dr. Sourav explained while making a power-point presentation to fishermen in the district on Saturday.
In collaboration with the Indian Meteorological Department, the INCOIS also provided information relating to sea safety including cyclone advisories, he added.
Fishermen could also get market related information, added MSSRF’s Fisher Friend Programme (FFP) Project Associate N. Veerabhadra Rao.
He said the mobile app had evoked good response from fishermen, particularly youth. Over 9,000 fishermen in the south, including 2,000 in Andhra Pradesh, had so far enrolled for availing themselves of these services offered in, among other languages, Telugu and English.
“We plan to to cover fishermen in the entire Andhra Pradesh coastline in phases,” added another FFP Project Associate D. Srinivasa Rao.
