KOCHI: In January 3, two fishing boats --- Lady Miracle and Felix --- docked near Malinakara Bridge, Munambam, were destroyed in a major fire. Last year, a fishing boat docked in Kunjithai river in North Paravoor was also gutted. Fishing boats suffering damage in fire has been a long-standing issue along the coast of Kochi.
According to Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act, the boat owners must equip the vessels with navigational, lifesaving, and fire equipment and then only the Fisheries Department will provide them with a licence. However, many of the boats have only portable fire extinguishers. Other items including power or hand-operated pump and fireman’s axe, are hardly found and many boat owners are not even aware of the need for such equipment. Only 54 boats have affixed the hologram high-security registration board with GPS/GRPS networking, which can locate and identify deep-sea fishing boats.
“The fisheries sector has been reeling under severe economic crisis since the Covid situation worsened. Many have lost their jobs. Even the frequent formation of depression in the sea due to climatic changes is putting many workers in jeopardy. Moreover, the hike in fuel price and the non-availability of fish have also dampened the sector. To make a boat fully equipped, the owners have to invest more. Now, the owners are not bothered about investing in safety appliances,” said Aneesh P, assistant director of fisheries station in Vypeen.
Apart from the fire-related accidents, the fishing boats also face engine failures and entanglement of fishing nets in the propeller.
Migrant labourers
Over the last few years, many migrant labourers have been working in fishing boats. The inconsistency in job opportunities and income has driven away many traditional fisherfolk to other professional fields.The migrant labourers from West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu do not have in-depth knowledge about the technical functioning of the boats. The ignorance of boat workers about sea traffic laws and failure to comply with the rules also have led to many accidents.
The KMFR Act, which was amended in 2017, has made the appointment of a certified shipper or Syrangs mandatory.
“Syrangs can navigate boats and are fully aware of their functioning. However, these migrant workers aren’t trained well and they don’t even know how to use a fire extinguisher properly. While renewing the licence, all the mandated items would be present. Since we are not continuously monitoring, we are not sure if they are maintaining the same standard afterwards,” says Aneesh.
In case of technical failures or any other emergencies, lights of various colours are used to pass information during night. “Without knowing their use, the workers turn on all the lights. Only a very few boats use them properly,” said another official.
According to Satheesh Chandra, a boat owner in Munambam, the migrant labourers learn the basics by themselves and have not received any professional training. “To date, the Fisheries Department has not conducted any awareness classes or training sessions,” he says.
Insurance
A fishing boat costs up to Rs 1.5 crore and most of them are not insured. “Insuring a boat hasn’t been mandated yet. However, the labourers are getting insurance through the state government’s welfare fund,” says Aneesh.
The boat owners refuse to take insurance as they would have to pay huge premiums. “For the high-cost boats, around Rs 4 lakh has to be paid as premium in a year. We don’t earn enough to spend such a sum. If a group insurance scheme is available for an area, that would be much helpful,”says K B Kassim, Munambam boat owners association coordination committee general convenor.
Most yards unlicenced
Ernakulam district has 43 boat building yards in total. Munambam (25), Eda Kochi-Mattancherry (10), Njarakkal-Vypeen (8). “Of the total, the department has received 27 applications and of these only 15 yards have been registered. The rest of the yards are functioning without a licence,” says Aneesh P, assistant director of fisheries station in Vypeen. The lack of safety in boat building yards is no different. There have been instances of fire breakouts in yards as well and it is a common affair in Munambam. “The unlicensed yards construct boats just by pulling a tarpaulin. Such makeshift setups have caused fire breakouts,” says Kaasim.
Staff shortage
According to an official, the fisheries department is facing an acute shortage of staff. Safety can be assured if there’s enough manpower. In that case, the sea workers and functionalities of the boats can be monitored properly.
Need for a fire station
The fishing harbours in the city lack fire stations. The existing ones are located in Paravur, Kodungallur, Ernakulam, and Kalamassery. “Many harbours don’t have easy access to fire stations. During the Munambam mishap, fire engines had to come all the way from Paravur. If a fire station cannot be set up, then at least a motoring pump should be installed at the jetties so that locals can put out the fire,” says Kaasim.