Thaindian News

Panaji, July 23 (IANS) The Goa government will give trawlers walkie talkies and distress alert transmitters in a bid to secure its coastline, state Fisheries Minister Joaquim Alemao said Thursday.
The fisheries department, in its performance budget tabled before the state legislative assembly, said that the government had set aside Rs.1 crore to enhance security measures for fishermen in view of terror threats from sea.

“In view of the relevant security developments, it has become essential to account for and monitor each movement of trawlers and of every boat or vessels or canoes at sea,” said Alemao.

“We are providing very high frequency walkie talkie instruments to boat owners engaged in fishing. There is no mode of communication between boats, canoes, vessels at the shore,” he said.

The department also acknowledged that boat and canoe operators were presently communicating through mobile phones which are not reliable and lack sufficient coverage.

“Already we are setting up VHF tower stations, which will enhance communications.”

The perpetrators of 26/11 attacks entered Mumbai on board MV Kuber, a trawler which was hijacked by the terrorists off the Gujarat coast, and used it to slip into the city.

In order to enhance coastal security, the fisheries department will also install distress alert transmitters on trawlers and boats engaged in fishing.

“These distress transmitters are activated at the press of a button in case of emergencies. It will also help alert other fishermen or coastguard vessels nearby, of the distressed vessel’s exact location,” Alemao said.

Goa has approximately 800 vessels trawling the sea with more than 3,500 fishermen.