AP plans fishing safety overhaul after fatal sea accidents
The Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Department is set to revamp marine safety measures by introducing high-visibility hull colours for fishing boats, enforcing mandatory use of transponders, and exploring drone-based surveillance following a series of maritime accidents that exposed gaps in vessel visibility and emergency response.
A key proposal is to replace the conventional blue colour on the lower hulls of fishing boats with high-visibility orange. Officials said investigations into recent accidents near Gangavaram Port found that when boats capsize, the exposed blue hull blends with the surrounding seawater, making it difficult for aerial and surface rescue teams to locate the vessel.
The existing yellow-and-blue colour scheme was introduced more than 15 years ago to identify fishing vessels by region following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Officials now say the scheme needs to be revised, as the blue hull reduces visibility during search-and-rescue operations.
Fisheries Joint Director L.B.S. Vardhan said the Fisheries Commissioner had directed the department to prepare a proposal to be submitted to the Union Ministry of Fisheries for approval.
The department is also stepping up enforcement of transponder usage after finding that many fishermen switch off the devices, distributed under Central government schemes, to avoid administrative monitoring. Officials said inactive transponders deprive rescue agencies of real-time vessel locations and prevent the transmission of weather alerts during emergencies.
In addition, the State is evaluating the use of drones for surveillance and search-and-rescue operations within India’s territorial waters extending up to 12 nautical miles from the coast.
Andhra Pradesh has nearly 29,000 fishing vessels, including around 1,500 mechanised boats, 22,000 motorised boats, and 5,000 non-motorised craft. The proposed reforms will be implemented in phases, beginning with mechanised boats before being extended to the rest of the fleet.
The safety review follows several fishing boat accidents along the Andhra Pradesh coast. The most serious occurred on July 4, when a mechanised fishing boat carrying seven crew members capsized about 10 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast after suffering engine failure in rough seas. Despite an extensive search operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy, six fishermen who went missing are presumed dead.