KOCHI: The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) has manufactured safe and durable fishing boats, using Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) that can be used by the fisherfolk for Inland fishing.
The boats have been made using the NANO-RESIN technology, and will benefit the fisherfolk in the Chellanam panchayat. The 20 FRP boats, fabricated under the SCA-SCP - scheme support provided to SC/ST Service Co-operative Society, Chellanam, were handed over to the Society on Friday by Fisheries Minister K Babu. Unlike in the marine sector, the application of technology is very low in the Inland fishery sector, where the small-scale fisherfolk fishing in reservoirs, lakes and rivers are in a socio-economically underprivileged condition. The CIFT, under the value chain project for marine pelagic and freshwater fishes (NAIP-RHSSP), has developed many technologies for improving the efficiency of the Inland fishery sector.
Project leader K V Lalitha, Chellanam panchayat president K P Thankachan, district panchayat member K J Leenus, Palluruthy block panchayat president Sudhambika, and Sadanandan, President of the Chellanam Panchayath SC/ST Service Co-Op Society, spoke.