THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Decreasing fish resources in the Kerala waters have prompted an ‘artificial’ solution. On Tuesday morning, the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation Ltd (KSCADC) will launch a project to establish artificial reefs off the Thiruvananthapuram coast.
Under the scheme, 360 artificial reefs - triangular concrete modules - will be dropped off the coast at Puthiyathura, Karumkulam and Poovar. Ports and Fisheries Minister K Babu will inaugurate the project at Vizhinjam on Tuesday morning.
The reefs will provide a favourable habitat for the growth of ‘periphyton’, a colony of microscopic planktonic organisms which are the prime food of omnivorous and herbivorous fishes. In time, KSCADC hopes that the reefs would develop into a feeding and breeding ground for various types of fishes. This, in turn, would help the fishing communities in the region which depend on the coastal waters for their livelihood, the KSCADC said in a statement.
‘’Artificial reefs which are being established in the near shore waters will provide a good fishing ground, enabling traditional fishermen using catamarans easy access to a rich fishing ground. This will reduce the cost involved in fishing by way of reduction in the fuel cost, thereby increasing the profitability of fishing,’’ KSCADC said.
Under the project, Puthiyathura, Karimkulam and Poovar will get 120 reefs each.