2 more radar stations to strengthen Karnataka coastal surveillance

Two more radar stations are being set up by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) to beef up security along the Karnataka Coast.

"Radars will be installed at Kundapura in Udupi and Belekeri in Uttara Kannada districts," Coast Guard District No 3, Karnataka Commander DIG Praveen Kumar Mishra said at the sidelines of an interaction with fishermen at Coast Guard headquarters in Panambur on Saturday.

The entire 320-km-long coastline of Karnataka is under surveillance with the help of radar stations at Surathkal and Bhatkal, he said.

The radar station is ready at Belikere and the work is in progress at Kundapura. Each radar station can cover up to 30 nautical miles into the sea. The camera in radar will cover five to seven nautical miles.

The radar stations were set up under the coastal surveillance network after the Mumbai terror attack. He appealed to fishermen on having life-saving equipment on boats and availing government insurance and pension schemes.

AIS for fishing boats

The DIG said Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders on fishing vessels, that are more than 20 metres long, will help Coast Guards in reaching fishermen in distress.

There are 2,553 fishing boats in Dakshina Kannada district and 1,607 among them are mechanised boats. About 400 mechanised boats had installed AIS. The Fisheries Department, while renewing the licenses, had insisted on installing AIS on boats.

Applications from owners of fishing boats, seeking AIS installation, are sent to Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) in Kochi.

"The MMD will issue MMSI number and call sign, which needs to be activated by fishermen by visiting the agency from where transponder was purchased," Fisheries Department deputy director Sushmitha Rao said.

Fishermen leaders Nithin Kumar and Chethan Bengre accused Kerala officials of seizing fishing boats from Karnataka.

"A heavy penalty is slapped on boats fishing within a distance limit of 12 nautical miles," they charged. The fishermen also highlighted shortage of kerosene supply for traditional fishermen and failure to release subsidy amount for subsidised diesel.

Shashi Kumar Bengre, representing Purse Seine Fishing Boat Owners' Association, urged the government to upgrade the fisheries college in Mangaluru into a fisheries university.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, responding to complaints, said that the issue of the seizure of boats will be drawn to the notice of the Fisheries Ministry. Steps will be taken to upgrade the fisheries college into a university, he promised.

DPR ready

Commander of the Indian Coast Guard Western Region Inspector General M V Baadkar said that the detailed project report for the Indian Coast Guard Academy in Kenjar will be submitted to the government.

On Cargo ship MV Princess Miral that sunk off the Ullal coast, DIG P K Mishra said that measures were taken for the de-fueling of the vessel, and the work is in progress.