Safety, quality of boats to be reviewed after Ockhi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The safety and quality of fishing boats would be reviewed in the context of  the disaster caused by  cyclone Ockhi, said marine architects who would send their recommendations to governments and boat owners. The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) has come up with a plan to design handles on the sides and underwater portions of the boats. During cyclone Ockhi,  many drowned after hours as they could not get a hold on the fibre boats. The underneath of the boats would be highly slippery. Most of the boats were as heavy as 400 kg and could not be turned once they capsized.

“The new handles could be placed in existing boats without affecting the buoyancy and stability of the boats,” said M.V. Baiju, a CIFT scientist. Boat building qualities also were poor to foolproof in the event of a disaster. “The steel structures of certain boat develop holes just a year after their purchase. Wooden parts, resins and  fibreglass should  be of high quality as boats could undergo tremendous pressure,” another scientist added. Also, the state government will implement the ceiling on the horsepower of boats to ensure safety and level-playing field. The high-power boats would exhaust their fuel faster.

During cyclone Ockhi,  there was a constant appeal to widen the area of search operation as fishermen would venture even over 100 nautical miles. “A decade back we had 80 hp engines in boats that were as long as 18 to 20 metres. Now there are ones with 550 hp engines. A 250hp ceiling was being implemented and this will also make fishing economical,” said Mr Baiju. The fisheries department has recommended to ensure that vessels do not exceed the fish-holding capacity to better manoeuvre the vessel during a crisis like cyclone. Several boats would fill even the decks leaving less space for fishermen to rest.