In association with the Central Sector Scheme on Blue Revolution and Make in India, ICAR - Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Cochin and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has joined hands for a collaborative programme, for the design and construction of commercial fishing vessels adhering to international standards.

 

An agreement in this connection was signed on 29th August, 2017 with the aim of creating benchmarks and standards for deep sea commercial fishing vessels besides enabling end-to-end solutions to the fisheries sector of India. This collaboration focuses on empowerment of local boatyards by raising the standards of boat construction. During the first phase of the programme, ICAR-CIFT and CSL will address the needs of the fisheries sector of Tamil Nadu and render support in the design and construction of deep sea Tuna Long Liner cum Gill Netter under the Blue Revolution scheme of Union Government.

 

This collaborative programme is expected to address the present challenges and issues faced by the commercial fishing boat industry in India. Presently, it is observed that in some areas, amateur boat building yards take up the construction of the fishing vessels, without following any international standards, and by using raw materials that are not of marine grade. This mainly happens, as there are no specific agencies to monitor the construction of the deep sea going vessels. The possibilities of corrosion and under-water bio-fouling of fishing vessels are higher than any other sea going crafts. Hence marine grade steel plates and good quality fiberglass reinforced plastic raw material are essential to withstand corrosion and high impact of seas.

 

The new initiative by ICAR-CIFT and CSL will also take adequate measurements to ensure that these ships and boats are constructed using marine grade raw materials, certified equipments and by qualified and skilled technicians. The programme activities will be taken up by the Fishing Technology Division at ICAR-CIFT.