integrating safety at sea with fisheries management · integrating safety at sea with fisheries...

Bay o f Benga l News - September - December 2008 1

Regional Consultation on Safety at Sea in Chennai, India 10

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Developing Guidelines for Safety at Sea: Expert Consultation in Rome Provides Guidance

Impacts of Climate Change on Coastaland Marine Fisheries Resources inBangladesh

National Workshop on MCS in Marine Fisheries in India adopts a National Plan of Action

Vol. IV Nos. 17-18 Sep - Dec 2008

Integrating Safety at Sea withFisheries Management

Bay of Bengal News examines the many dimensions of safety at sea, with

facts, anecdotes and analyses, plus reports of consultations in Chennai

and Rome. The main message: Governments should strengthen MCS,

as part of their fisheries management regime. Expected outcomes: more reliable data, sounder laws, more knowledgeable

fishers, firmer enforcement – and fewer accidents at sea.

2 Bay o f Benga l News - September - December 2008

Ed i to r ia l

Integrating Safety at Seawith Fisheries Management

Late in October 2007,Perumal1 , 46, and his fishingmate Selvaraj, 42 (Cuddalore

district, Tamil Nadu) went fishingone morning. They were on theirnew beauty, a 27 ft FRP boat drivenby a 10 hp engine. Discarded on thebeach lay their older vessel, a five-log catamaran.

Ignoring a weather warning,Perumal and Selvaraj sought therich haul of deeper waters. So did

fellow-fishers. Some 40 nauticalmiles from the coast, they werebuffeted by stormy winds. The boatcapsized. Perumal and Selvarajclung for dear life to two plasticcans meant for water and sparediesel. They were rescued 20 hourslater by a passing ship: battered,sick, shaken, sans boat.

Around the same time: Inneighbouring Sri Lanka, Vincent,36, and a crew of four set sail from

Negombo fishing harbor on“Shining Star” (a 15 meter FRPfishing vessel) on a three-weektuna-hunting voyage. They toomade light of weather warnings.They made for the high seasbetween Nicobar and Sumatraislands, fairly well-equipped – VHFand SSB radio sets, some simplelife-saving gadgets, food.

1 Names of persons and places changed toprotect identity.


Driven by need and emboldened by technology, small-scale fishers are risking their lives by goingfarther out to sea. Fisheries management – through a sound MCS (monitoring, control andsurveillance) policy – is essential to strengthen fisher safety. MCS will control fishing effort,upgrade skills and knowledge, strengthen data, facilitate search and rescue, improve discipline.


But nature played spoiler:depression, storm, equipmentbreakdown. Result: A little vessellet loose in the vast ocean expansefor almost a month. Happy ending,however. Rescue by the IndianCoast Guard.

Perumal and Selvaraj spent a weekin hospital, Vincent and crew spenta month. But they were lucky tosurvive. Not so, many other fishersfrom India and Sri Lanka.

Such incidents in the waters of theBay of Bengal raise severalquestions.

Are vessels like Perumal’s andVincent’s meant (either built orcertified) for deeper waters? Arethey equipped with communicationand life saving equipment? Is thecrew trained in navigation,emergency repair and life saving?Do fisheries management policiesincorporate safety concerns?

Let’s look at some of these issues.

In many developing countries,fisheries is a major economicactivity. It means food, livelihood,nutritional security, foreignexchange through export, it’s agrowth trigger in coastal areas.No wonder governments adoptgrowth-oriented policies. But thesafety of fishers doesn’t figure intheir calculations. Many policieshave actually aggravated the riskprofile of fishers.

Growth oriented policy-making wasfine when resources were aplentyand fishing effort was limited. Notthe case today – the story is one ofdwindling stocks and ever-expanding capacity. Further,technology has enabled even small-scale fishers to move off-shore orfish longer. And many imperativesof sound fishing have beenneglected – sound boatbuildingpractices, use of communicationand personal protection equipment,training in navigation, enginemaintenance and repair. Result:Marine fisheries development hasgot lopsided. Risks have gone upmanifold. For Perumal and Vincent,

a day lived is a day of riskssurvived.

The solution? Devise fisheriesmanagement policies thatstrengthen safety. In a word: MCSor monitoring, control andsurveillance. The ChittagongResolution of 2008 passed by theBOBP-IGO’s Regional Consultationon MCS urged member-countries tointegrate MCS into fisheries policyand regulation, and make it a part ofthe management framework. It also

urged education, training andawareness programmes as a part ofthe process (Bay of Bengal News,Vol IV, Nos. 15-16, March –June2008).

An FAO 2001 study revealed thatMCS capability in the regionranged from 41 percent(Bangladesh) to 62 percent(Maldives). The study alsoconcluded that differentmanagement paradigms impacteddifferently on fisher safety.

Fishing management regimes and theirimpact on fishing safety

In 2008, the FAO and the NIOSH were partners in an internationaleffort to document the relationship between fisheries management andfishing safety and also provide practical guidelines for fisheriesmanagers and safety professionals on how they could help to makecommercial fishing safer.

The study provided an expanded perspective of fisheries management(see the schematic diagram below). It showed that fisheries managementpolicies affect fishermen’s options, preferences and choices, and mayalso affect the human, equipment, and environmental factors that impacton safety. The primary goals of fisheries management may be resourceconservation, economic growth and social amelioration; but fisheriesmanagers should be aware of the indirect effect of management onsafety.

The study observed that fisheries management is a complex challenge.Managers must attempt to balance multiple objectives with limitedresources. The study recommended that fisheries managers:

• should be aware that the way fisheries are managed affects safety;

• should consider safety an explicit goal of fisheries management;

• should build up mechanisms for close collaboration and cooperationwith the authorities responsible for safety; and

• should engage safety professionals to ensure competent safetyrecords.

Fisheries Management: An Expanded Perspective

Resourceconservationgoals

Safetygoals FISHERIES

MANAGEMENT

Fishermen’soptions,

preferences andchoices

Direct andindirect

contributingfactors affecting

safety

Safetyoutcomes

How many fishare caught

Resourceconservation

outcomes

Fishermen’s earnings,costs & profits. Whoparticipates in and

benefits from fisheries

Economicoutcomes

Economic andsocial goals

Where,when, how

and bywhom fishare caught

Source: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report No. 888.


Paintings by school children in India,Maldives and Sri Lanka depicting post-tsunami reconstruction.

All the four member-countries ofthe BOBP-IGO have fairly largefishing fleets (ranging from 4 356fishing vessels in the Maldives tosome 2 40 000 in India) and largesmall-scale fisher populations.Management isn’t simple. An open-access fisheries regime makes ittough and complex.

How can safety at sea be integratedwith fisheries management?

Safety concerns over fishing at seahave emerged in an organized wayonly recently, thanks to the UnitedNations. Pioneering work on small-scale fishing vessels (FAO andIMO); worldwide acceptance oflabour rights (ILO); the initiativesof regional fisheries bodies such asthe BOBP-IGO (and its forerunnerthe BOBP). All these have raisedthe profile of safety issues, led tothe formulation of standards andguidelines, and spurred debate onaction to reduce fishery-relatedaccidents.

Developed countries such as theUnited States have set up systemsfor time-series data on the causes offishing-related accidents (in Alaskain particular). Fishing hasconsequently become a much saferoccupation in the U.S. Data in thesecountries shows a fall in injuriesand fatalities, but there’s scope forfurther improvement. In developingcountries, however, reporting onaccidents at sea is poor, so alsounderstanding on the subject.A mechanism for monitoring andrecording fishing-related accidentsis essential.

A sound MCS would:

• enable regulation of access tothe fishery resource throughproper licensing and registrationof fishing vessels;

• control fishing effort,if required;

• provide zoning for differentcategories of fishing vesselsdepending on their size, capacityand endurance to fish indifferent depths;

• make possible closed fishingareas and closed fishing seasons;

• ensure maintenance of log booksand movement registers;

• coordinate and streamline searchand rescue operations in times ofdistress; and

• in essence, bring much-neededdiscipline into fisheries.

Safety-at-sea is a multidimensionalissue. It should therefore beregarded as integral to fisheriesmanagement. It shouldn’t bebundled together with welfareprogrammes for fishers, in the formof compensation after accidents.

Some other points:

• Adopt a precautionary approachto safety, by ascertaining thecauses for accidents, thendeciding on interventions;

• Raise awareness, bridge gapsin knowledge and skills, involvefisher families in creating a‘safety culture’ in the day-to-daylife of fishers;

• Promote asset- building amongsmall-scale fishers;

• Promote and strengtheninsurance practices in fisheries(both life insurance and assetinsurance – assets such as craftor gear); and

• Discourage risk-takingbehaviour by fishers.

Fishers seem to revel in risk andadventure – an attitude that imperilspersonal safety. Perumal andVincent are examples. Integratingsafety with fisheries management isa challenge complex but notinsurmountable. What shouldpolicy-makers strive for? Higherfish production alone? Or a sound,sustainable and stable sector, withreasonably safe and securefisherfolk?

– Y S Yadava


Conservation and developmentof fish genetic resources—Mission of the National Bureauof Fish Genetic Resources

The National Bureau of FishGenetic Resources(NBFGR) based in

Lucknow, is India’s premierorganization devoted toconservation and sustainabledevelopment of fish geneticresources.

Set up in December 1983 inAllahabad and moved to Lucknowin 1994, the NBFGR taps cutting-edge technologies and mobilizesnational co-operation to:

• collect, catalogue and documentfish genetic resources;

• maintain and preserve fishgenetic material to conserveendangered fish species;

• evaluate indigenous and exoticfish species; and

• ensure Intellectual PropertyProtection relating to fishgenetic resources.

The infrastructure

The 52-hectare complex on whichNBFGR stands (inaugurated byPrime Minister Atal BehariVajpayee in June, 1999) houseslaboratories; farm facilities(broodstock rearing ponds, nurseryponds, breeding ponds, a live fishgene bank, data banks); anInformation Technology providerknown as ARIS (AgricultureResearch Information Service) cellwhich contains hardware, softwareand networking facilities and aGeographic Information System orGIS lab; an Intellectual PropertyRights training cell; an extensionand training cell; a fully automatedlibrary that provides electronic

access to several databases and totop journals in agriculture, plantsciences, fisheries, aquaculture andecology.

An International Centre for FishDNA Barcoding was established in2006. A microbiology lab wasdeveloped and equipped for diseasediagnostics. An AquacultureResearch & Training Unit focuseson quality fish seed productiontechnologies and on training bothfarmers and department personnel.It is presently being upgraded, with

Director of the National Bureau of Fish GeneticResources, Lucknow, Dr W. S. Lakra has implementedseveral innovative programmes in aquatic geneticresources conservation including DNA barcoding of fishand marine life and the concept of a ‘State Fish’.

A graduate of Delhi University, with an MSc and PhDfrom H.N.B. Garhwal University, Dr Lakra has beenprincipal scientist and head of the department of genetics

and biotechnology at the Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai,where he helped initiate India’s first master’s and PhD programmes in fishgenetics and biotechnology. He also helped establish a Centre of FishMolecular Genetics and Biotechnology. He organized several HRDprogrammes in fish biotechnology and the first national conference on thesubject in 2000.

Dr Lakra has authored or edited 20 books, published more than 120 researchpapers and guided several research students.

Widely traveled, he has visited Canada, Norway, France, Australia, China,Singapore, Bangladesh, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. He has beenan expert member of the international review team for the genetic improvementand biodiversity programme of the WorldFish Centre, Malaysia. He has madesignificant contributions in fish genetics, biodiversity conservation andaquaculture biotechnology through research, teaching, extension, researchmanagement and infrastructural development.

Dr Lakra has won several honours, including the M. S. Swaminathan BestIndian Fisheries Scientist Award. He is founder president of the AquaticBiodiversity Conservation Society and regional chair of the Global Consortiumof Barcoding of Life (CBOL).

Fisher ies Ins t i tu t ion

a special emphasis on catfish, carpand freshwater prawn.

Other infrastructure includes anaquarium, a hatchery complex anda fish museum, to be expanded intoa National Fish Museum. Besides,a research unit of the NBFGR wasset up in Cochin in 1994 at theCentral Marine Fisheries ResearchInstitute, Kochi.

NBFGR is run by a staff of79 including 26 scientists, aresearch manager and 26 technicalsupport personnel.

Conservation and developmentof fish genetic resources—Mission of the National Bureauof Fish Genetic Resources


The why and how of NBFGR

Before describing the achievementsof the NBFGR, which is now about26 years old, one first needs toclarify the scientific anddevelopment rationale of aknowledge-intensive, technology-intensive and research-intensiveorganization like the NBFGR, andits methodology.

Rationale: Fisheries andaquaculture are crucial for India’sfood production and food security.Fisheries and aquaculture also relatedirectly to poverty alleviation andeconomic uplift – since thousandsof fisherfolk and farmers depend onfisheries for their livelihoods.Fisheries and fish products also feedthe pharmaceutical industry andother industries.

But fish resources everywhere – notjust in India and worldwide – seemto be dwindling and are underpressure. Some resources are indanger of extinction. Makingfisheries sustainable demands betterplanning, sounder managementstrategies, and better knowledge ofIndia’s rich aquatic biodiversity.

A majority of the genetic resourcesfor food still come from the wild,because of the low domesticationlevel in fisheries, in contrast toanimal farming and agriculture.

Threats to our aquatic biodiversityare many and varied – over-exploitation of resources, habitatalteration, construction of dams,introduction of non-native species etc.

Conservation and management ofIndia’s fish and aquatic resourcescall for holistic approaches toknowledge and to documentation,hence the relevance and role of theNBFGR.

Methodology

NBFGR carries out multi-disciplinary research, developsresearch tools and disseminatesinformation – in biology, genetics,molecular biology, biotechnology,etc. It studies habitats andinventories the resources. It tapsremote sensing and GIS

applications. Result: databases thatstrengthen knowledge and provideinsights on our fish and aquaticresources.

What are the achievements ofNBFGR?

1. Development of databases

A database has been developed onIndia’s fish diversity, comprisinginformation on 2 245 indigenousand 291 exotic finfishes.

The database provides informationon a) classifications,b) nomenclature: scientific name,synonyms, local names in differentregional languages, common namein English, c) distribution in Indiaand abroad (global distribution),d) habitat: coldwater, warmwater,brackishwater and marine,e) commercial importance: foodfishes, sports fishes, ornamentalfishes, cultivable fishes, etc,f) maximum and minimum size,g) morphological features includingkey identification features like finformula, h) status: endangered,vulnerable, threatened, rare,indeterminate (based on IUCNcriteria), and i) images: studiophotographs, diagrams and digital.

Every finfish has been given adistinctive five-digit code. The firstthree digits relate to the genus, thelast two digits show the species.Thus each species has a uniquecode. All the information related toa particular species can be retrievedby this unique code.

The database is being updated forshellfishes. The present informationcovers 1 655 molluscan, 923

crustacean, 43 echinoderm and 350species of marine ornamental fishes.Information has also been collectedon marine shellfishes of India –prawns, lobsters, crabs, gastropods,bivalves, cephalopods, turtles,crocodiles, whales, dolphins,porpoises, sea cows, sponges,corals, sea cucumbers, sea urchinsand seaweeds. Work is in progressto incorporate genetic informationas an important component of thedatabase. The work is also beingextended beyond the taxonomicdiversity of fishes.

Under a collaborative programme,31 new fish species from thenortheast and the Western Ghatshave been identified and described.More unexplored regions are to besurveyed to describe germplasmresources in future. Attempts arebeing made to develop databases ona GIS format. Policy makersenvisage a database that willprovide integrated informationconcerning habitat, distribution andother available information.

Database: ‘Fish ChromosomeWorld’

A database named ‘FishChromosome World’ in digitalinteractive format has beenpublished by NBGFR. It containskaryomorphological information on126 finfish species from 34 familiesand nine orders. The fish speciesand its locality are classified,information is provided on thechromosome number, thechromosome formula, authors andreferences. Photographs ofmetaphase spreads and/or


karyotypes of fish species areprovided. The database can beaccessed on NBFGR’s officialwebsite www.nbfgr.res.in.

2. Genetic Characterization

DNA Barcoding of Indian fishes

With the help of sophisticatedequipment acquired for geneticcharacterization (major facilitiesinclude an automated karytyper,a DNA sequencing and genotypingsystem), the NBFGR has initiateda comprehensive programme onDNA barcoding. This is a speciesidentification programme – beingdeveloped for the first time in India– for all marine and freshwaterfishes of India.

The work on DNA barcoding ofIndian fishes was initiated in July2005, at NBFGR, as the lead centrefor the Indian region working groupof FISH-BOL. An internationaltraining programme on “DNABarcoding of Marine Life” wasconducted at NBFGR from 16 to21 April 2007. Trainees andresource personnel from Canada,Australia, Kenya, Tanzania andSouth Africa participated.

Under the DNA barcodingprogramme, comprehensive samplecollections are being obtained. DNAbarcodes were prepared for 742sequences (DNA barcodes) of 244species.

Genotyping and Genetic DiversityAnalysis

The NBFGR identifies appropriategenetic markers which makepossible the quantification ofgenetic variability at intra and inter-specific levels. Expertise has beendeveloped for various classes ofmarkers – cytogenetic, allozyme,DNA including RAPD, mtDNA,RFLP – and microsatellites. Thesemarkers are used to generateinformation and data on prioritizedfish species to study inter-specificand intra-specific variation.

Species-specific diagnosticmarkers

Unambiguous description of aspecies is important for

conservation. Molecular markers areinvaluable tools to complementconventional tools in resolvingtaxonomic ambiguities. Species-specific diagnostic markers havebeen developed to detecthybridization and introgression inIndian major carp hatchery and wildpopulations. The markers includedallozyme and mtDNA haplotypes.

NBFGR has a very strongcytogenetic data base for about200 fish species and stocks withinspecies which will help to resolveambiguities between differentspecies or varieties. This in turn willhelp plans for conservationstrategies of endangered species andtheir utilization in fish breedingprogrammes.

NBFGR has characterized severalfish species such as Labeo rohita,Catla catla and Cirrhinus mrigala;endangered mahseer species,including Tor khudree, T. mussullah,T. tor, T. putitora, Schizothoraxrichardsonii; and commerciallyimportant catfishes like Clariasbatrachus, Heteropnuestes fossilis,etc. Variations have been reportedfor the first time between Clariasbatrachus and exotic C. gariepinususing cytogenetic markers likeC- and NOR banding.

Molecular markers in endangeredand commercial fish species

At intra-specific levels, variationsare assessed within and betweenpopulations. Such studies provide

precise information on the stockstructures of prioritized endangeredand commercial fish species. This isvital for planning rehabilitation ofendangered fishes and for geneticimprovement of cultivable species.

Research on two important Indianmajor carps, Labeo rohita andCatla catla, indicates a substructurepopulation for these two species.The study has identified geneticstocks of rohu and catla across itsnatural range of distribution inIndia using allozyme andmicrosatellite DNA markers.

Genotoxicity assays

An increasing number of genotoxicchemicals like pesticides and heavymetals are being released into theaquatic environment. These imperilnot merely aquatic biodiversity buthuman health as well. The Bureauhas developed strong skills forstudying the genotoxic effect infishes through a battery of testsystems like the micronuclei test,the chromosome aberration test, thesister chromatid exchange (SCE)assay and the comet assay. Suchstudies not only help determine thesafe level of genotoxicants in waterbodies but also help remedialmeasures to conserve our richaquatic biodiversity.

3. In situ conservation

The in situ conservationprogrammes of the NBFGR coverprotected areas and fish sanctuaries,the traits of prioritized species,evaluation of the impact of exoticfishes on natural populations,development of assays forgenotoxicity, etc.

Such conservation efforts cannot bemeaningful without people’sparticipation through massawareness programmes. Localbodies and fishing communitiesmust be sensitized aboutconservation programmes.

‘State fish’: A novel approach tofisheries conservation

Under this initiative, the Directorateof Fisheries of each Indian statewas encouraged to adopt one fish


species as a ‘State Fish’ on the linesof the National Animal/NationalBird. So far, 15 states haveresponded to this initiative with‘State Fish’ declarations. The idea isthat conservation of these specieswill be researched and reviewed asa matter of priority, with technicalhelp available from NBFGR. Anoperational farm in each state willbe devoted to the ‘State Fish’ fordeveloping a gene bank andbroodstock and propagationprotocol. Eventually, strategies canbe developed for field levelconservation programmes.

Life history traits of naturalpopulations of prioritized fishes

Studies on life history traits of fishpopulations are essential forplanning conservation andmanagement of a species. Suchstudies have been scanty so far.Parameters like fecundity, size atfirst maturity, gonadosomatic index,age and growth, length-weightrelationship, oocyte size frequencyprofile, food and feeding habits, etc.are crucial for examining any stock.Of the 587 freshwater speciesreported in India, more than 100species have potential for culture.NBFGR is conducting studies togenerate life history data ofendangered and commerciallyimportant fishes in the North Eastand in the Western Ghats, tofacilitate sustainable managementand conservation.

Fish sanctuaries and protectedareas

Very few sanctuaries for aquaticresources – necessary for in-situconservation – exist today. Aquaticsanctuaries including marineprotected areas would not only helpconserve biodiversity but alsorejuvenate fisheries.

Captive propagation ofthreatened fishes

Captive breeding programmes are aprincipal tool to compensate fordeclining fish populations, andsupplement and enhance yields ofwild fisheries. Culture, breedingand larval rearing technologies have

been practiced for decades formajor carps, but they do not existfor many other freshwater fishspecies with commercial potential.

At NBFGR, efforts to developprotocols of captive breeding andlarval rearing for non-conventionalspecies in collaboration with fishfarmers have shown remarkablesuccess. This may pave the way forcommercializing the technologyand transferring it to fish farmers,fish traders and fish entrepreneurs.

Community participation inconservation

India’s northeast is a hot spot offreshwater biodiversity. The naturalresources of northeast statesharbour 267 fish species –approximately one third of India’sfreshwater fishes. It is essential toprevent unlimited exploitation ofuntapped wild germplasm resourcesand put in place a strategy forsustainable utilization of resources.NBFGR has undertaken acomprehensive project fordevelopment and conservation offisheries in the northeast states withcommunity participation.

4. Ex situ conservation and genebanking

Gene banking is a powerful ex situconservation tool. NBFGR is theprimary organization in India forfish gene banking programmes.These are made possible through arepository of biological materialsand a live gene bank. This envisagesthe development of fish spermcryopreservation protocols andcollection of tissue accessions andvoucher specimens from Indian fishspecies.

Fish sperm cryopreservation

Species- specific spermcryopreservation protocols havebeen developed for 17 species.Continuous improvement inprotocols has provided hatchingsuccess ranging from 65 percent to100 percent of the control value fordifferent species.

Tissue banking

A new thrust is being given to tissue

banking, which enables long-termstorage of material. Tissuerepository accessions are beingmade with an emphasis on theendemic fish resources of hot spotareas such as the Western Ghats andthe northeastern states. Nearly12 000 tissue accessions for fishspecies, collected across thecountry, are maintained in the tissuebank. NBFGR plans to establishlinkages so that the tissue bankhouses accessions of all the fishgermplasm resources.

Live Gene Bank

A live gene bank has beenestablished at the Bureau inLucknow comprising T. putitora,Barilius spp., Garra spp., Labeodayochilus, L. calbasu, Wallagoattu, Chitala chitala, Channamarulius and L. Bata. At theregional level, two live genebankshave been established in Guwahati.More species are being introducedin the system so that a suitablepackage of breeding and culturalpractices can be developed.

5. Exotics and Quarantine

The use of exotic species forfisheries and aquaculturediversification has been practicedsince the middle of the 19th century.Many such introductions have beensuccessful; but some others haveresulted in highly publicized failureand generated controversies overthe protection of native biodiversityand the spread of pathogens anddisease.

Quarantine and health certificationprogrammes form an integral part ofbroad strategies at national andinternational levels to protect thenatural environment and nativefauna from the deleterious impactsof exotic species or pathogens.NBFGR is upgrading facilities andexpertise to safeguard indigenousfish genetic resources from exoticdiseases and to develop effectiveprotocols for fish quarantine,

The microbiology laboratory ofNBFGR has developed rapiddiagnostic capability for detectingthe 11 eleven fish OIE-listed


pathogens using molecular andimmunological tools. NBFGR hasachieved success in developingmonoclonal antibodies againstL. rohita. A programme to developfish cell lines from Indian carp andcatfish species has been undertakenat NBFGR. Significant success hasbeen achieved in developing cellcultures from C. gariepinus andL. rohita. These efforts can lay thefoundation for a dedicated facilityto screen import and export of liveaquatic animals for exoticpathogens as well as pathogens ofnational concern and for healthcertification relating to all importand export of live aquatic animals.

NBFGR actively disseminatesresearch tools and information toresearchers and students. Besidespublishing original research papersin peer-reviewed journals, nationalas well as international, NBFGRhas been regularly conductingtraining programmes in fishbiotechnology, molecular markerdevelopment and analysis,genotoxicity assays and diseasediagnostics and reporting.

How has NBFGR helpedcontribute to Food safety andsecurity?

Molecular Diagnostic Capability toidentify the 11 OIE-listed Fish andShellfish Diseases/Pathogens hasbeen developed at the NBFGR, Thiswill help in border and post-borderquarantine of live aquatic animalimport consignments.

Fish traders are now moreconscious of risks associated withthe import of exotics. Guidelines forAquatic Exotics Introduction havebeen approved by the government.Trans-boundary movement of liveaquatic animals has become safer,and a better scientific decisionsupport system now exists toevaluate proposals for import andexport of aquatic animals throughdatabases and molecular diagnosis.

Awareness programmes organizedrecently by NBFGR in Chennai andMumbai on fish introductions andquarantine have sensitized people in

both the public and private sectorsto the harm to biodiversity thathaphazard introduction of alienspecies can cause.

Human Resources Development

The technologies and techniquesdeveloped by NBFGR are beingdisseminated to end users throughtraining, demonstrations andpublications.

Many training programmes havebeen organized on techniquesdeveloped in the laboratoriesrelating to taxonomy, molecularmarkers, genotoxcity assays,diagnostic detection andconfirmation of OIE diseases.Researches from ICAR and otherinstitutes, from universities,colleges and fisheries departmentshave benefited from theseprogrammes.

Technologies on culture andmanagement practices are beingdisseminated to state fisheriesofficer and also directly to fishfarmers.

Impact on policy-making infisheries and aquaculture

NBFGR is not a capture or culturebased fishery institute. Itstechnologies are an outcome of itswork on germplasm conservation.Its clients are scientists andfisheries officers of stategovernments, the Ministry ofAgriculture, the general public andto some extent, fish farmers. A fewexamples:

Scientific inputs on exotics andquarantine: Inputs were providedto the Department of AnimalHusbandry, Dairying & Fisheries,Ministry of Agriculture, on theproposal for import of ornamentalfish Betta splendens (fighting fish)from Malaysia, the import of 18species of ornamental fishes by aTuticorin-basd firm, and of 23species by a Chenai-based firm, theintroduction of exotic shrimp broodstock Litopenaeus vannamei by twoprivate firms, and on MPEDA’sproposals for import of 39ornamental fishes to India.

This year NBFGR was identified asthe nodal institute for all mattersconcerning introduction of exoticfish germplasm. State governmentshave been advised to furnishquarterly aquatic animal diseasereports to NBFGR, who willprocess, compile and preparereports to be submitted to OIE.

Preparation of National StrategicPlan: A National Strategic Plan on‘Exotics and Quarantine of AquaticAnimals’ and Guidelines on‘Introduction of Aquatic Exoticsand Quarantine’ prepared byNBFGR have been approved by theMinistry of Agriculture.

International partnerships andcollaborative programmes

The NBFGR collaborates withseveral international organizations.For example, with the WorldfishCentre, Malaysia on fishgermplasm. With the NaturalResource Center, Australia andAuburn University, USA, onmolecular markers and geneticcharacterization. With the US Fishand Wildlife Service on capacity-building in in situ conservatonprogrammes. With the WIPO,Switzerland, on InternationalProperty Rights.

The future of NBFGR

In the matter of conservation ofnatural resources, while thedeveloped countries enjoy thetechnological edge, it is thedeveloping countries that have theresources. Transboundary exchangeof germplasm and information foruse in product development areessential.

Explorations from new areas suchas the deep seas and biodiversity-rich areas like the northeast and theWestern Ghats are likely to result inthe discovery of new fish species.A national repository of fish geneticmaterial needs to be established anda a national fish museum.

To tackle the problem of the dearthof qualified fish taxonomists, theNBFGR proposes to establish aCenter of Excellence on FishTaxonomy and Molecular Genetics.


Safe ty a t Sea

Regional Consultation on Safetyat Sea in Chennai, India

Forty-three persons fromBangladesh, India, Maldives,Sri Lanka, FAO, IMO,

NIOSH, fisheries institutions, andNGOs, besides a few expertconsultants, took part in theRegional Consultation on Safety atSea for Small-Scale Fisheries, heldin Chennai on 7 and 8 July, 2008.It reviewed the progress of the SouthAsian component of the globalproject on ‘Safety at Sea for Small-Scale Fisheries in DevelopingCountries - GCP/GLO/200/MUL’.

The consultation was funded by theSwedish International DevelopmentCooperation Agency (SIDA) andorganized jointly by the FAO, theInternational Maritime Organization(IMO), the Alaska Centre of theNational Institute of OccupationalSafety and Health (NIOSH) and theBOBP-IGO.

Mr M K R Nair, FisheriesDevelopment Commissioner,Government of India chaired theconsultation.

Welcoming participants,Dr Y S Yadava, Director of BOBP-IGO, said the consultation wouldreview the progress of the SouthAsian component of the globalproject on Safety at Sea, which isbeing implemented in Bangladesh,India, Maldives and Sri Lanka bythe FAO in association with theBOBP-IGO. The Project alsoincludes an IMO component thatfocuses on the development ofsafety standards for the design,construction and equipment offishing boats in India and Sri Lanka– where many boats were damagedby the December 2004 tsunami.

Dr Yadava said that 24 000 deathsfrom fishing at sea occur every year,based on the statistics fromdeveloped countries. The figure fordeveloping countries is not known,but could be much higher. He said

the global Project on Safety at Seais aimed at improving the safety ofsmall-scale fishers at sea throughawareness and training and saferboats. Another component (beingimplemented with NIOSH funds)seeks to improve the reportingmechanism to facilitate planninginterventions. He thanked FAO,SIDA, NIOSH, IMO and theGovernment of India for facilitatingthe consultation.

Mr Jeremy Turner, Chief, FishingTechnology Service, FAO, referredto recent global trends in fisheries.He said that the number of fishersas well as fishing capacity haddeclined everywhere in the worldexcept Asia. This increase did notauger well for the fishery resource.Reducing fishing capacity was anurgent need. Safety at sea was acomplex challenge and needed to beaddressed from different angles.He hoped the consultation wouldcontribute to the project’s success inSouth Asia.

In his welcome address, Dr GavinWall, FAO Representative in India,explained the role of the FAO inagriculture in general and fisheriesin particular. He said that some

three billion people live within60 km of coastline; of these, some40 million are involved in fishing.He described the FAO as aknowledge manager – it collects,analyzes and disseminatesinformation from a globalperspective to help sustainable andresponsible management ofagriculture and fisheries. FAO alsoassists technological developmentsin member-countries, like buildingvalue chains from producers toconsumers. Community-basedfishing models are now the focus ofresearch. The aim is to promoteinfrastructure, planning anddiversification to add to value andimprove livelihoods,” said Dr Wall.

Expressing his happiness over aprogramme that concentrated onsafety at sea, Mr Nair said thatsmall-scale fishing vessels areill-equipped and vulnerable toaccidents. Most accidents occur dueto faulty vessel design, human errorand natural calamities. Internationalinstruments on safety at sea do notcover small-scale fishing vessels.He urged a holistic approach to

Dr Gavin Wall, FAO Representative in India delivering the welcome address.

Regional Consultation on Safetyat Sea in Chennai, India


tackle the problem of safety at seafor small-scale fishers and hopedthat the consultation would helpprogress in this direction.

Technical presentations

The Technical Session included12 presentations on activities of theSafety at Sea Project, both globaland regional; integration of safety atsea into fisheries management; draftguidelines on safety of fishingvessels below 24 m overall length(OAL); training needs of fishers;community mobilization; the statusof legislative support to small-scalefisheries management in the fourproject countries.

Mr Jeremy Turner made the firstpresentation on “Safety at Sea as anIntegral Component of FisheriesManagement”. He said a viciouscircle exists, where increasingfishing effort leads to depletedstocks and reduced catch per unit ofeffort. This forces fishers toincrease capacity. In the process,they enter into a debt trap. Fishersare also trying to diversify into newfishing techniques for which theyare ill-trained and ill-equipped, andare cutting costs and endangeringsafety. Fishers in general areoverworked and fatigued – these aresome of the main causes ofaccidents at sea. The solution lies insafer boats with regulations,training, enforcement andcompliance, said Mr Turner.

There are two kinds of fishers whocircumvent or ignore safetyregulations, said Mr Turner: thegreedy ones, who must beregulated, and those who cut costsfor economic reasons, who wouldotherwise comply with feasibleregulations. Explaining whofisheries management can addresssafety issues, Mr Turner said that12 years ago Alaska had one of thehighest fatality rates in fishing. Butwith a new fishery managementregime, the accident rate felldramatically.

He stressed the importance ofinformation on the causes ofaccidents. Such data could be

publicized to educate fishers andraise their awareness. Further,conditions should be created toimprove safety. Better managementwould improve economic viability,which, in turn could enable strongersafety measures, said Mr Turner.He pointed out that regulationswere meaningless withoutenforcement and compliance.Fishers, fisher families and otherinterest groups should be involvedin formulating regulations.

Mr Per Danielsson, coordinator ofthe global project on Safety at Seafor Small-Scale Fishers, gave anidea of the global context of theProject. He said its immediateobjective was fewer accidents atsea. Long-term objective: toimprove the livelihoods of coastalpopulations.

He said the project was beingimplemented in South Asia(Bangladesh, India, Maldives andSri Lanka) and West Africa. InSouth Asia, the project wasexpected to improve the system ofreporting and analysis of accidentsat sea; improve rules andregulations for safety of small-scalefishing vessels in line with the FAO/IMO voluntary guidelines; andbetter the integration of safety at seaand fisheries management.

Mr R Ravikumar, RegionalCoordinator of the South Asiancomponent of the Safety at SeaProject, said that the safetyguidelines developed by theerstwhile BOBP for Sri Lanka –after boats there started operatingmulti-day trips in excess of theircapabilities, resulting in accidents –were valid even today. The presentProject aimed at pilot-scaleactivities to build awareness anddevelop some technical guidelines.Experiences gained could helpformulate a larger project topromote safety at sea.

Mr Ravikumar said that theweather, the design of vessels,fishing regulations and humanbehavior were the factors thataffected safety at sea. “Lack of asafety culture, willingness offishermen to accept risks because ofopen access, forsaking safety formoney, and lack of a structuralapproach for establishing safetynorms were some important humanfactors. Stakeholders concernedwith safety at sea are fishercommunities, boatbuilders, nationalagencies and the coast guard.”

He said the immediate requirementswere to review baseline data, assessknowledge gaps and prioritizeawareness building. Thereafter, amedia campaign would be designedand committees set up formonitoring. The awarenessmaterials developed so far related tosafety precautions, pre-voyage andpost-voyage checklists,internationally accepted distresssignals, engine checklists and avideo on maintenance of smalldiesel engines.

A training course curriculum wasbeing developed. It aimed attraining fishers to adapt to a rapidlygrowing modern fleet. The poorquality of fiberglass boatconstruction in India and Sri Lankahad to be addressed, by trainingboatbuilders in good FRP practicesand ensuring that boatyards adoptworking conditions and qualitycontrol practices, saidMr Ravikumar.

Mr Jeremy Turner

Mr Per Danielsson


Expressing his concern aboutowner-labour relations in marinefisheries, Mr Ravikumar said thatowners often fixed targets for theboat crew to meet, withoutconsidering safety needs, especiallyin adverse weather conditions.

Asked how the project would trainilliterate fishers, Mr Ravikumar saidthat fishers couldn’t be expected tostop fishing to attend safety classes.The project therefore intended totrain a cadre of trainers includingsome progressive fishers, whowould in turn train the fishers.

Dr G Conway, Director, NationalInstitute of Occupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH), Alaska Centre,described the “Need forSurveillance and Reporting ofFishing-related Accidents at Sea”.He said that in the early ‘90s,Alaska tied with Iceland in havingthe most dangerous fishing industry.But the situation improved greatlyin a span of 5 to 6 years, and nodeaths were reported in 2005. Thelessons from Alaska were validelsewhere. “The first step is to knowthe problem and address it in themost effective way possible”.He presented a model format forsurveillance and data collection.

Mr Oyvind Gulbrandsen, navalarchitect and consultant, presentedthe proposed “Guidelines on Safetyof Fishing Vessels below 24 MeterLength”.

He said that maritime safety beganwith the British Parliamentamending the 1871 MerchantShipping Act to end overloading ofcargo in ships. Insurance companiesdemanded that boats be built tocertain standards. But these safetyregulations applied only to largervessels. International standards andregulations on boats less than24 meters overall length evolvedonly during the last 30 years,mainly due to the increasing use ofFRP for small boats in Europe, thegrowing number of accidentscaused by poor design andconstruction, and the need foruniform standards all over Europe.

“Poor quality equates to unsafeboats”, said Mr Gulbrandsen. Headded that many fishing vesselscapsized in inclement weather dueto shortcomings in their design.Distress communication was pooror non-existent and fishers often didnot receive storm warnings.

He pointed out that in most Indianboats, fishers still do not carry aradio. Inflatable life rafts areexpensive; rigid life floats acting asbuoyant apparatus are idealsubstitutes, he said. In the late 90s,a rigid FRP life float was designedas an alternative to the inflatablelife raft under a TechnicalCooperation Project of the FAO inAndhra Pradesh, India. Some100 such floats were distributed totrawlers in the State, saidMr Gulbrandsen.

If rules in BOBP-IGO member-countries were not properlyenforced, initiatives like the presentProject would have little meaning,Mr Gulbransen cautioned.An independent authority (the CoastGuard in some countries) wasneeded to implement and enforcesafety regulations. He said thatfishermen should not be singled outand targeted for compliance withsafety regulations; boat owners andboatbuilders should also betargeted.

In discussions that followed thepresentations, a representative ofthe Indian Coast Guard said thatthere were no regulations tostipulate carrying of life saving

appliances on board seagoingfishing vessels. Dr Yadava said thatsuch stipulations did exist in theMarine Fishing Regulation Acts ofcoastal States, but were noteffectively enforced.

Mr Turner remarked that the realchallenge lay not in preparing rulesand regulations but in enforcingthem. Involving the community inenforcement may help solve theproblem. Realizing this, the stategovernments in India are handingover management of some of thefishing harbours to stakeholders.But the sheer number of fishingvessels, especially smaller ones,poses a formidable obstacle, saidMr Turner.

Country presentations on thestatus of legislative support tosmall-scale fisheries management

The delegate from Bangladesh saidthat fisheries legislation inBangladesh largely aims at resourceconservation. The Marine FisheriesOrdinance, 1983 makes a licenseobligatory for sea fishing. Otherimportant policy documents: the1998 National Fisheries Policy, the2000 National Fisheries Strategy,and accompanying sub-strategy andaction plan. A committee has beenformed to adapt the 1995 FAO Codeof Conduct for Responsible Fishingto Bangladesh.

The delegate from India said thatthat Part XV A of the MerchantShipping Act, 1958 andamendments to it, enjoined fishing

The Regional Consultation in progress.


vessels to carry at least two lifebuoys, one life jacket per crew,EPIRB, SART, life raft and firefighting appliances. A draft manualon Convention for Standard ofTraining, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessels(STCW-F) has also been finalized.It awaits government approval.He said that enforcement of safetyregulations in India is weak.

The delegate from Maldives saidthat the Coast Guard conductssafety inspections once or twice ayear. It works in cooperation withthe local Atoll Administration andthe Federal Government. Safetyregulations were promulgated in1984 but strict enforcementcommenced only in 2000. Thesehave been welcomed by fishers. TheGovernment makes regular weatherforecasts available to fishers inassociation with a US-based agency.It has trained some 200 fishers indownloading and using weatherinformation. Fisheries cooperativesare getting popular in the Maldives.

The Sri Lankan delegate said thatlife-saving appliances are not yetmandatory in fishing vessels. Butmulti-day fishing boats get a24-hour high frequencycommunication network service,and are equipped with SSB radio,while 22 land stations around theisland provide weather forecasts.Sri Lanka has also undertaken aprogramme to build communityawareness on safety at sea.

Management and Training Issues

Dr Y S Yadava made a presentationon “Linking Fisheries Managementand Safety at Sea”. Analyzing theprevailing fisheries managementregimes in BOBP-IGO member-countries, he identified gaps withrespect to safety. He said thatmotorization of traditional crafts inIndia, had increased risks forfishers. Safety is a micro concept, itisn’t properly addressed by macropolicies, he said. The way boatowners and crew react to policymeasures must be studied. Thecapacity of the community shouldbe built through the precautionary

approach to management andawareness campaigns, Dr Yadavasaid.

Mr Roger Kullberg, FisheriesOfficer, FAO made a presentationon “Training needs of Small-ScaleFishers in Safety at Sea”. Heexplained the three lines of defenseto prevent fatalities at sea.“Prevention is the first defense. It isthe most effective and the cheapest.Next is survival and self-rescue.The third, search and rescue (SAR),is the least effective and the mostcostly. Training must be tailored tothe needs of small-scale fishers andshould be undertaken by specializedpersons. Special attention should bepaid to make the teaching materialrelevant”.

Dr Dilip Kumar focused on“Mobilizing Community in Safetyat Sea”. Drawing lessons from theFAO/ UNDP/ Government ofBangladesh Project on‘Empowerment of CoastalCommunities for LivelihoodSecurity’, Dr Kumar said village-level organizations should becommunity-driven, and should bemotivated and facilitated to engagein participatory resourcemanagement. Over a period of time,they could become problem-solvers.

Group DiscussionsOn the second day, the consultationdivided itself into three groups todiscuss (i) guidelines and otheroutputs of the Project,(ii) enforcement and implementationof rules and regulations, and(iii) integrating safety at sea intofisheries management.

Guidelines and other outputs of theProject: Group 1 noted thattraditional boats had evolved overyears and were generally safe. Butmodifications such as motorizationadded to their risks. While member-countries classified boats on thebasis of overall length, the proposeddraft guidelines classified them onthe basis of sea conditions. TheGroup recommended that member-countries consider parameters suchas area of operation and seaconditions in boat classification.Apart from technical guidelines,member-countries should alsoconsider parameters such as crewaccommodation and installation ofequipment with regard to stowage,etc, which were part of IMO andILO guidelines.

Analyzing the training manualsdeveloped under the Project, theGroup noted that some trainingprogrammes on navigation,boatbuilding and boat maintenancewere already being conducted inmember-countries. But thesetargeted the requirements ofmerchant shipping and did not meetthe needs of small-scale fishers. TheGroup suggested trainingprogramme for small-scale fishersthat were site-based, with acurriculum and timing suited tothem.

The Group urged that a criticalmass of trainers be built up in eachcountry, who could then train alarge number of fishers. VillageInformation Centers (VICs) couldhelp out with accident-reporting andinformation on weather conditions.Pilot-scale projects ought to beimplemented to gauge the efficacyof VICS in recording anddisseminating information.

Enforcement and implementationof rules and regulations for safetyat sea: On the basis of theexperiences of member-countries inenforcing rules and regulationsconcerning safety at sea, Group2 suggested several measures.

Fishing vessels and personnel mustbe insured. Life-saving appliances


on each vessel should bemandatory. Low-cost but good-quality LSA appliances should bedeveloped for use by small-scalefishers. All boats should carrynavigational aids such as compass,GPS, etc. Navigation lights wereimportant too, even small boatsshould have some form of light.Solar- powered lights should bepromoted, especially for smallerfishing vessels.

Some other measures: All boats,irrespective of their area ofoperation, should carry adequateration, drinking water, fuel, signals,etc. Boatbuilding yards, irrespectiveof their size and capacity, should beregistered. Boat designs must bestandardized and based on approvedspecifications. All boats must have astandard communication system,depending on the area of operationof the boat. For smaller vesselsfishing in inshore waters, cellphones are useful. Discussions withthe cell phone companies toincrease the range as alsoaffordability may be considered.Community-based safety trainingprogrammes for fishers should beorganized. The BOBP-IGO shoulddiscuss the issue of fishers who driftinto the waters of a neighbouringcountry and get jailed. Standardprocedures for repatriation offishers and their boats should beworked out.

Group 2 suggested awarenessprogrammes; pooling of resourcesby the enforcement agenciesconcerned; capacity building andincreasing staffing to carry out theall-important job of compliancewith safety regulations.

Integration of Safety at Sea intoFisheries Management: Group 3said that member-countries ought tostrive for sustainable managementof marine fisheries resources andsecured livelihoods of fishers. Butthey are hampered by lack ofmanpower, finance andinfrastructure, a poor database anda weak MCS. The Group urgedNGOs and the media to raise theprofile of safety at sea issues. Itsuggested the following measures tointegrate safety into fisheriesmanagement in the region:

They should build awareness onsafety at sea and set up community-based organizations. Registrationand licensing of fishing boatsshould be through a single windowsystem and multiple licensingshould be avoided. Incomegeneration schemes shouldcompensate fishers for loss oflivelihood during closed seasonsand areas, while savings schemesshould be implemented to build uptheir assets.

Fishers should take part in planning,implementing, monitoring and

evaluating resource use, and shouldcoordinate with other stakeholders.Boat owners should provide jobsecurity for fishers, minimize theirstress, and insure boat and crew.The Government should facilitatesetting up of market chains; tradersshould pay fishers fair prices. TheCoast Guard should broaden its roleand train fishers on various aspectsof safety at sea such ascommunication and use of life-saving appliances. Researchorganizations in member-countriesshould determine the maximumsustainable yields in the respectiveEEZs and provide inputs onharvestable potential.

Concluding Session

Mr Turner said an enormousamount of work was needed toimprove the sea safety regime, anda strong political will wasimperative. He called for anInternational Plan of Action for SeaSafety, which could guide nationalpolicies. He said the current phaseof the Project would end byDecember 2008, but he hoped thatBOBO-IGO in association withFAO would engage countries infurther developing the safetyregimes.

The chairperson thanked the BOBP-IGO for a successful Consultationin cooperation with the FAO. Hesaid that the integration of seasafety and fisheries managementwas a new dimension well-receivedby the participants.

Welcoming the draft guidelines onsafety, he said that after finalization,they should be used by member-countries to prepare standards andrevise safety laws for fishers. Hehoped that the BOBP-IGO wouldre-align its work programmeaccordingly. He also suggested aRegional Plan of Action on safetyissues to enable a National Plan ofAction in the member-countries.

Dr Yadava thanked the FAO, SIDA,IMO and NIOSH for their supportand member-countries for theiractive participation.

Participants at the Regional Consultation on Safety at Sea.


Nat iona l Workshop on MCS

National Workshop on MCS inMarine Fisheries in India adoptsa National Plan of Action

A National Workshop onMonitoring, Control andSurveillance in Marine

Fisheries, jointly organized by theGovernment of India and theBOBP-IGO, was held in Chennai on1-2 December, 2008. Taking partwere representatives from theMinistry of Agriculture, thePlanning Commission, the IndianCoast Guard and the MercantileMarine Department; severalDepartments of Fisheries (AndhraPradesh, Goa, Karnataka, TamilNadu and West Bengal) and UnionTerritories (Lakshadweep andPuducherry); fisher associations;and the FAO.

Mr Tarun Shridhar, Joint Secretary(Fisheries), Department of AnimalHusbandry, Dairying & Fisheries(DAHD&F), Ministry ofAgriculture, chaired the openingsession.

Welcoming participants,Dr Y S Yadava, Director, BOBP-IGO, recalled that this nationalworkshop and a national plan ofaction on MCS had been suggestedin the Chittagong Resolution of theJanuary 2008 Regional Workshopon MCS.

Dr Yadava said that west coaststates such as Gujarat, Kerala andMaharashtra were not represented atthe workshop, nor Orissa. Thisindicated that MCS “is yet to be apriority in fisheries management inmany coastal States”. In manydeveloped countries, on the otherhand, MCS is deeply rooted infisheries policy. “These countriesare now moving from aconventional command-and-controltype of MCS to more participatoryforms of monitoring and control”.This made MCS more cost-effective

said Dr Yadava. Even in some Asiancountries, MCS was now an integralpart of responsible fisheries. InSouth-east Asia, some countrieswere moving towards regionalstrategies.

Expressing his grief over 9/11,Dr Yadava said that in the past too,fishing vessels had been used forunlawful activities. A strong

MCS regime in maritime statescould help strengthen nationalsecurity. He hoped the two-dayWorkshop would analyze issuesconcerning implementation ofMCS in India and emerge with animplementable action plan.

In his inaugural address,Mr Shridhar said the focus ofMCS in India was on control and

Mr Tarun Shridhar, Joint Secretary (Fisheries), Government of India.

The National Workshop in progress.

National Workshop on MCS inMarine Fisheries in India adoptsa National Plan of Action


surveillance rather than onmonitoring. The MCS regime inIndia was weak because data waspoor. A good database, stronginstitutional backing, the supportof stakeholders and a consensusamong them to adopt MCS, wereessential. MCS should go beyondVMS (vessel monitoring system).It should be perceived as a measureto protect livelihoods, not as apolicing activity. Making MCS highon the political and governanceagenda was a challenge,Mr Shridhar said. He added that theMinistry of Agriculture hasprovided budgetary support forfisheries management in the11th Five-Year Plan.

Mr Shridhar said that fishproduction had gone down in 13 ofthe world’s 15 ocean zones, whilethe two Indian Ocean zones werestill productive. He called for aproactive approach so that thesezones remained productive. Some50 percent of fish stocks worldwidewere over-exploited, the reasonsbehind depletion of fish stocksshould be ascertained.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated(IUU) fishing is becoming rampant,Mr Shridhar said. Some 25 percentof the global fish catch originatesfrom IUU vessels. IUU fishing can’tbe brought down overnight. Apartfrom regulation, better scientific,economic and social understandingof fisheries was essential. The CoastGuard had the major responsibilityfor surveillance of the EEZ, but itcould not focus on fisheries alone.

Port State responsibilities too werenot being addressed adequately.

Mr Shridhar said that issues infisheries varied from open access toregulated access to rights-basedfisheries. The pressure on capturefisheries could be reduced bylowering post-harvest losses andstrengthening aquaculture.

Technical presentations

In a presentation on “Monitoring,Control and Surveillance in Small-scale Fisheries – GuidingPrinciples and Practices”,Dr Y S Yadava said that the impactof small-scale fisheries was oftenoverlooked due to its low scale ofoperation. MCS in India was achallenge because of thepredominance of small-scalefisheries and its highly dispersednature. He called for a time-specificplan of action on MCS and for

strengthening national agenciesresponsible for MCS as per theChittagong Resolution.

Dr C P Juyal, Fisheries Researchand Investigation Officer,DAHD&F, made a presentation on“Overall Status of Marine Fisheriesin India and its Preparedness for aMCS Regime”. He described thestatus of fisheries resources in theIndian EEZ and the potential fordeep sea fishing, particularly of tunaand tuna like species. He describedexisting legal mechanisms and thesalient features of the 2004Comprehensive Marine FishingPolicy of the Central Government.He said that many new initiativeswere planned in the 11th Five-YearPlan to strengthen resourcemanagement and introduce satellite-based surveillance measures (VesselMonitoring System or the VMS) forfishing vessels.

Dr C. P. Juyal Mr Sebastian MathewCommandant Donny Michael

Group Discussion in progress.


Mr Sebastian Mathew made apresentation on “Rights-basedMarine Fisheries Management and the Role of Fisher Community inImplementation of Monitoring,Control and Surveillance in India”.He said existing legislation onmarine fisheries in India shouldcomplement and strengtheninternational instruments to whichIndia was signatory. He said that ifmillions of automobiles could beregistered annually, registration offishing vessels should not beregarded as insurmountable.

Mr Mathew said that powers forresource management ought to belegally delegated to the fishercommunity. He called for amanagement architecture forsustainable development offisheries. During discussions thatfollowed the presentation,references were made to theappalling conditions of hygiene andsanitation on fishing vessels; thelack of effort to promoteco-management; and the lack ofpolitical support for devolution ofpower to panchayats. Responding tothe questions, Mr Mathew said thatlegal reforms were needed torecognize traditional managementarrangements and their adaptationto facilitate an equitable rights-based approach.

In the workshop’s final technicalpresentation, Dr Yadava reviewedthe Marine Fisheries Regulation Actas well as the rules, regulations andnotifications of coastal States andthe Union Territories (UTs), andhighlighted gaps relating to MCS.He discussed provisions ininternational binding and non-binding instruments like the 1982United Nations Law of the Sea, the1993 FAO Compliance Agreement,the 1995 UN Fish StocksAgreement and the 1995 FAO’sCode of Conduct for ResponsibleFisheries.

During discussions, participantsraised several issues – such as weakpatrolling; the failure of a centralscheme in the late 90s under whichpatrol boats had been provided tocoastal States; the lack of efforts toParticipants engaged in Group Discussions.


optimize fishing fleet size; poorenforcement of regulations toprevent fishing in restricted areas.Participants pointed out that somecountries had switched effectivelyfrom de facto open access fishery toregulated access fishery througheffective implementation ofregistration and licensingprocedures in consultation with thestakeholders.

Participants suggested thatpanchayats should be involved infisheries governance. They said thefocus of fisheries development inmost states was on fisher welfareprogrammes; development aspectsand MCS were overlooked. OnVMS, the workshop felt thatcaution should be exercised inapplying this technology to smallfishing vessels.

Working Group discussions

Four Working Groups were formedto discuss the following issues:

Group 1: Registration andLicensing of Fishing Boats,Demarcation of Zones, ColourCoding, Communication andSurveillance Infrastructure

Group 2: Estimation of FishingCapacity, Maximum SustainableYield and Optimization of FishingFleet.

Group 3: Governance, Policy andLegislative Support to MCS.

Group 4: Institutions, HumanResource Development and Role ofNon-Governmental andCommunity-based Organizations.

Mr M K R Nair, FisheriesDevelopment Commissioner,chaired the proceedings. Presentingthe recommendations of Group 1,Mr Ravi Kumar stressed the urgentneed for registration and licensingof all seaworthy fishing vessels andfor stronger surveillance. Herecommended the use of anAutomatic Identification System(AIS) for all vessels below 15 meterLOA. On the impoundment offishing vessels that violate rules andregulations, he said fishing harboursand fish landing centres do not have

Resource Estimation

Marine fish landings should beestimated regularly on the basisof a scientifically designedprogramme, which should beuniform for all coastal States andUnion Territories (UTs). Datashould be included on biologicalaspects of commerciallyimportant fin and shellfishspecies. Data should be obtainedseparately on fish landings fromthe territorial waters and thosefrom the Exclusive EconomicZone (EEZ). Stock assessmentshould be carried out at regularintervals.

Estimation of Fishing Effortand Adjustment of FishingCapacity

Deployment of fishing fleet/effort by coastal States/ UTs intheir territorial waters should becommensurate with the potentialyield estimated for such area.It should be made mandatory forfishing vessels to file log sheetscontaining information onspecies-wise fish catch, area ofoperation, effort deployed, etcafter each fishing trip to thedesignated authority. Suchmechanisms should be imposedfirst on harbor-based mechanizedfishing vessels, and extendedlater to other categories offishing vessels.

Registration and Licensing ofFishing Vessels

All sea-worthy unregistered andunlicensed fishing vessels shouldbe registered/ licensed.

To overcome the shortage ofmanpower, the MercantileMarine Department (MMD) mayconsider delegating registration

powers for fishing vessels lessthan 20 meters Length Overall(LOA) to the Department ofFisheries (DoF) of coastal Statesand UTs.

Fishing vessels and crew shouldbe insured. Such insuranceshould be mandatory for vesselregistration and for grant of alicence. Colour coding of fishingvessels should also be mandatory– to indicate the port of registryand the licensed zone ofoperation.

Infrastructure Development

The existing landing andberthing facilities cater to therequirements of only about 25percent of the fishing fleet in thecountry. Result: acutecongestion in fishing harboursand landing centres. A thoroughassessment must be made ofexisting infrastructure facilities.

Surveillance

The coastal States/ UTs shouldprovide marine fishers withIdentity Cards after properverification.A comprehensive surveillancemechanism should be evolved.Such a mechanism shouldinvolve the Indian Coast Guard,State Governments and UTs andstakeholders. Fishing vesselsoperating in territorial watersshould use Channel 16exclusively for distresscommunication. Separatechannels should be used forother communication.

Review of Fisheries Legislation

The Central Government shouldenact a central legislation toregulate fishing in the EEZ by

National Plan of Action on MCS – India


Indian vessels, A thoroughreview should also be done ofexisting fisheries and supportinglegislation, and MCS featuresshould be incorporated.Adequate manpower and fundsshould be provided for MCS.Where relevant, MCS provisionsmay be delegated to agenciessuch as the Marine EnforcementWing and the Coastal ProtectionPolice.

Fisheries Policy andManagement Frameworks

Based on the 2004Comprehensive Marine FishingPolicy of the CentralGovernment, all coastal States/UTs should formulate policiesin concert with stakeholders.The policies should clearlydefine the objectives and goals offisheries development. Theyshould ensure decentralization.They may consider promotingrights-based fisheriesmanagement to the extentpossible. Such policy documentsshould be dynamic in nature andallow for periodic revision.

Management plans for major fishstocks should be formulated bythe Central Government incoordination with States/ UTs.Where sufficient data arelacking, such plans may rely onthe ‘precautionary approach’.The plans may consider fixedtime schedules for allowing thestocks to be harvested, ex situand in situ conservation andmanagement measures and stockenhancement using proventechnologies such as artificialreefs, fish aggregating devicesand sea ranching.

The MCS, which is an integralpart of fisheries management,should be implemented in stages.The first stage should includemandatory registration andlicensing. The second stageshould take up enforcement ofthe provisions contained in therules and regulations.Involvement of stakeholdersfrom the very beginning wouldhelp promoting voluntarycompliance by fishers and otherconcerned user groups.

To coordinate various activitiesrelated to fisheries management(e.g. management plans, MCS,safety at sea, exercise of coastalState jurisdiction, port State andflag State control), the setting upof dedicated Fisheries ResourceManagement and EnforcementUnits (FRMEU) may beconsidered.

Capacity Building andEmpowerment

The DoF in each state ought tobe adequately staffed withtrained technical manpower toaddress issues of sustainablefisheries development. Capacity-building of fisheries staff shouldbe undertaken in a planned andsystematic way. Fisheriesinstitutions and other agenciesconcerned with fisheriesmanagement should also bestrengthened. .

The fishing community shouldbe empowered to participate infisheries managementprogrammes. Its skills andcapacities should be enhancedthrough short-term highlyfocused vocational trainings andhands-on workshops. The socio-

economic well being of fishercommunity should be improved.Living conditions of fishers onboard fishing vessels should beimproved.

Community Mobilisation,Communication and Awareness

Fisher communities should bemobilized to assist inimplementing fisheriesmanagement programmes. Fishercooperatives should bestrengthened and co-managementshould be promoted. Communityinteraction programmes should beundertaken on issues such asresource management andformulation of managementplans, MCS, safety and survival,health, hygiene and literacy.Women must be included in suchprogrammes.

The print and electronic mediashould be made use of to thefullest extent to educate fishersabout fisheries management andto build stakeholder capacity.

Success stories (and stories offailure) in fisheries managementshould be documented and sharedwith fishers and otherstakeholders. Vocationaleducation for fishers andnon-formal education of fisher’schildren should be promoted.These will prepare thecommunity for resourceownership.

Coordination and Networking

The Central Government shouldconstitute an interdisciplinarycommittee to help implement theMCS action plan and monitorprogress through performanceindicators.


space to keep such boats. The groupcalled for revamping of the two24-month training coursesconducted by CIFNET, Kochi,which were oriented to merchantshipping; they ought to be morerelevant to fisheries.

Some of the points made duringdiscussions: While estimatingfishing capacity, both the length ofthe fishing vessel and gross tonnage(fish hold capacity) should beconsidered. Working conditions infishing vessels (as provided for inthe ILO Convention on ‘Work inFisheries Sector’) should be takeninto account while issuing licencesto fishing vessels. Resale of fishingvessels should be done with theknowledge of the DoF. Theantecedents of boat owners shouldbe verified by the police prior toregistration. Life- saving appliancesin fishing vessels should bemandatory. The area of operationshould be mentioned in licensesissued to boat owners. The variousMarine Fishing Regulation Acts/Rules should be streamlined andharmonized with the MerchantShipping Act to the extent possible.

Presenting the recommendations ofGroup 2, Dr H Mohamed Kasimurged the need for regular stockassessment, for estimation of

maximum sustainable yield, forinfrastructure enumeration, etc.Some points made duringdiscussions: (i) Should log sheets beused to estimate fish landings?(ii) An ‘allowable catch’ should befixed for selected fish stocks. The‘precautionary approach’ should beadopted for management(iii) Commercially important stocksshould be considered in place ofspecies. (iv) Opening and closingseasons should be declared forfisheries to ensure sustainablefishing.

The chairperson urged coastal statesand UTs to urgently assess fleetcapacity and prepare an inventoryof boatbuilding yards.

Presenting the conclusions of Group3, Commandant Donny Michaeldescribed MCS as a misnomer inIndia. Coast Guard officers, whohave the prime responsibility forMCS in the EEZ, do not undergoany MCS course after an initialcapsule programme at CIFNET.During discussions that followedthe presentation, it was suggestedthat fishing vessels be marked withradio identification frequency andthat the DoF in each state shouldexercise greater control on small-scale fishing in territorial waters.The Ministry of Agriculture is

contemplating the use of VMS onall categories of fishing vessels,also proposing a new Bill toregulate fishing by Indian vessels inthe EEZ.

Making the presentation of Group4, Commandant Paramesh said thatexisting fisheries and otherinstitutions contributed in one wayor the other toward implementationof MCS. During discussions, itemerged that the workshopsconducted periodically by the zonalbases of the Fishery Survey of Indiadiscuss MCS. Empowering the DoFwas essential to successfullyimplement MCS, the workshop wastold.

Draft National Plan of Action

A draft National Plan of Action forImplementation of MCS wasprepared by the BOBP-IGOsecretariat on the basis of theWorking Group recommendationsand participant feedback, andpresented at the workshop’sconcluding session (see box onpages 18-19). The chairperson, inhis concluding remarks, askedcoastal States and to include theplan in their own work plans, andinvolve Panchayati Raj institutionsin planning and implementation.

Participants at the National Workshop on MCS.


Safe ty a t Sea

Useful bi-national workshop onsafety of small fishing vessels inIndia and Sri Lanka

Eighteen persons – officialsfrom India and Sri Lanka,along with representatives

from the FAO, SIDA, theInternational Maritime Organisation(IMO), and the National Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health(NIOSH), Alaska, USA – took partin a Bi-National Workshop on SmallFishing Vessel Safety in Chennai on09 July 2008. The Workshop wasorganised jointly by the FAO, SIDA,NIOSH and the BOBP-IGO. Mr MK R Nair, Fisheries DevelopmentCommissioner, Government ofIndia, was in the chair.

Dr Y S Yadava, Director, BOBP-IGO, said the workshop would takea closer look at small fishingvessels in India and Sri Lanka,which share some commoncharacteristics and were heavilyaffected by the December 2004tsunami.

Mr Jeremy Turner of the FAO saidthat the Regional Consultation onSafety at Sea had addressed a hostof issues related to sea safety, butthe present workshop focused onpost-tsunami developments in Indiaand Sri Lanka. He said that seasafety had important socio-economic dimensions. Viability offishing through control of fishingcapacity was inseparable fromsafety.

Capt B Vormawah (IMO) said thatthe IMO was the UN bodyresponsible for maritimeregulations. It worked together withFAO in several areas such as theWorking Group on Illegal,Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)fishing including monitoring offishing vessel movements. The twoagencies had met in January 2005

and developed a joint plan forfuture action. A meeting betweenthe Swedish MaritimeAdministration and the IMO inFebruary 2006 had paved the wayfor a SIDA-funded project ontsunami reconstruction andrehabilitation in the Bay of Bengalfocusing on small fishing vesselsafety.

Capt Vormawah said the IMO wassurprised to find that no guidelinesexisted for construction of smallfishing vessels in the region. TheIMO component of the globalproject on safety at sea sought to fillthat void.

The representative of Department ofFisheries, Tamil Nadu, said thatsmall-scale fishers wereconspicuous along the 1 000km-long coastline of the state.FRP boats seemed to be replacingtraditional wooden catamarans.He hoped that the proposedguidelines would be useful inregulating the construction of boatsand in setting up boatyards.

Mr Nair said the workshop wouldfocus on boat design and

construction norms and on thedesign of boatyards. He said Indiahad sufficient expertise in buildingcommercial and cargo boats.Fishing boat development wasundertaken after Independence in1947 starting with 32 ft fishingvessels and later of 48 ft vessels.This was followed by theconstruction of 70.5m Mexicantrawlers with steel and theintroduction of Norwegiantechnology. Small-scale boatconstruction is a vibrant activity buthindered by the shortage of qualitywood. Boatbuilders haveexperimented with alternativematerials – ferrocement, steel andcurrently, FRP.

Mr Nair said that constructiontechnology has been deficient. Mostboats have compromised withsafety. Result: short lifespan andaccidents as well. While some ofthese issues are being addressed, thetsunami had triggered action andbrought in IMO and FAOassistance. He hoped that theguidelines proposed by the projectconsultants on the basis of theirsurvey would be useful.

The Bi-national Workshop in progress.

Useful bi-national workshop onsafety of small fishing vessels inIndia and Sri Lanka


Technical Presentations

Five presentations were made in theworkshop’s technical session.

Mr R Ravikumar focused onenvironment impact assessment inIndia and Sri Lanka and on safetyissues concerning motorization ofsmall fishing crafts in India.Mr Roger Kullberg discussed issuesconcerning FRP boat constructionin India. Mr Oyvind Gulbrandsenmade a presentation on technicalguidelines for fishing crafts in Indiaand Sri Lanka.

It was pointed out during thetechnical session that in India, thepopular large-size FRP boats(> 14 m) lack quality control.Lamination is poor, particularly inpost-tsunami boats, resulting in hulldamage due to abrasion. Fishers tryto tackle this with a plaster ofcement and sand on the bottom ofthe boat – a practice thatundermines boat safety.

A major safety concern withtrawlers arises from their faultydesign: a good catch threatensstability! Another important issue isthe poor engine installation andfitting: boatbuilders use cheapfittings that are not properlygalvanized.

For FRP canoes, the long-tailengine is quite popular because ofits easy maneuverability. But sincethe engine and the propeller have tobe started while the fishers arepushing the boat in the water, thelongtail threatens safety. Fishershave often been wounded and evenkilled. In Sri Lanka on the otherhand, safety concerns arise frommanagement of the boat. Manysingle-day boats have beenconverted to multi-day boats thoughtheir design is ill-suited for thelatter. The stability of such boatscan be compromised if the cabin topis overloaded. Many boats useplastic pipes in the engine room –a fire hazard.

The consultants found that in TamilNadu, some 35 percent of the 4 000or 5 000 FRP kattumarans suppliedby various NGOs after the tsunami

faced major problems like hull leak,hull abrasion and cracks. Some10 percent had been reduced toscrap; even the good boats wouldnot last more than five years fromtheir date of commissioning. Thismeans that two or three years fromnow, a whole batch of boats willpose serious safety andenvironmental threats to marinefisheries.

It was pointed out that fishers carryout most repair work themselves,because a repair shop is far away.As for motorization of small fishingcraft in India, the pros and cons ofexisting long tail motors werehighlighted. A matrix on safetyissues was discussed.

Mr Gulbrandsen said that theproposed technical guidelines werea simplified and adapted version ofthe Canadian standards for safety ofsmall vessels. He classified thevessels thus: Category A – Ocean;Category B – Offshore; CategoryC – Inshore; Category D – scatteredwaters. This functionalclassification, based on the area ofoperation of vessels and wavelength, is meant to replace thetraditional classification based onthe length of the boat.

Mr Gulbrandsen said that the newcategories would reflect thescantlings and the strength of thehull. He pointed out that in Indiamany open FRP boats lackfloatation. However, while wood isunsinkable, the open FRP boat issinkable.

For FRP boats, floatation is evenmore important than lift jackets,said Mr Gulbrandsen. He said thatsails were becoming obsolete. Sailsshould be promoted instead ofmotorization – since sails not onlysave fuel but provide a lifeline forthe crew when engines fail.

Discussions

Discussions focused on three basicsafety issues: disposal orreplacement of inferior boatsdelivered after the tsunami;standardization of designs, materialand construction/ maintenance of

crafts including public finance; andenforcement of rules andregulations.

Also discussed was the disposal ofold and usable FRP boats.Participants agreed that it’s notpractical to return them to theNGOs who supplied them. It wassuggested that the Government ofIndia discuss with the Governmentof Tamil Nadu plans to dispose ofscrap. Participants expressedconcern about the livelihood offishers once the FRP boats arerendered useless. There’s no easysolution, however.

Participants from Sri Lanka saidthat boat designs are based on whatthe client wants: it’s usually greaterfish-holding capacity and higherspeed. Builders try to provide theseand at a price buyers will findattractive. They end upcompromising safety.

Mr Babu Rao said that in the initialstage of development, FRP boats inIndia were constructed inGovernment boatyards witheffective supervision. But control isabsent now, and all types of boatsare being constructed. In Sri Lanka,there’s a draft legislation inParliament to address qualityproblems.

Participants agreed that practicalregulations should be devised,based on consultations withboatbuilders and stakeholders. Thismay be a lengthy process, but it willlead to sensible guidelines for safeboats that meet the needs ofindustry as well. It was alsosuggested that boatbuilders shouldbe given guidelines rather than rigidparameters – since requirementsvary across the coast both in Indiaand Sri Lanka.

Representatives from Indiaremarked on the deterioration ofdesign and material used in FRPboats during the last 20 years. Oldboats are still in use, but recentboats are failing. Participants fromSri Lanka said that the increasingcosts of fuel and materials shouldbe borne in mind while devising


regulations. Tax should be waivedon materials used for small vessels.

The chairman said that in India theBIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)certification could be used as thestandard for materials.Mr Gulbrandsen remarked that boatthickness should be specified, it hasan important bearing on safety.Mr Ravikumar said there are twoaspects to boat design: functionalityand structural integrity. While theformer could be left to the client,structural integrity should bestandardized through a set ofguidelines for boatyards.

The workshop noted that at onetime, Lloyd’s classification wasadhered to as the standard for10-meter FRP trawlers. But newlyestablished boatyards don’t followthis practice at all. Lloyd’sclassification should perhaps bere-introduced as the minimumstandard.

The workshop agreed on thefollowing points:

• Unlike wooden boats, FRP boatscannot be constructed on theopen beach. Since FRP is not anenvironment-friendly material,boatyards must exercise the rightprecautions. FRP standards arenon-negotiable and must beenforced. Every boat must havea certification mark forstandards.

• Boatbuilding practices in Indiamust be improved. A good shed,trained labourers, storagefacilities and a properinfrastructure are needed.Sri Lanka has just 20 boatyardsnow, as compared to the70 boatyards after the tsunami,all of them certified according tostandards like infrastructure,facilities and electricity. Result:improved quality of constructionof boats.

• Hulls must have enough layersof fiberglass.

• Standardization should be donestep-by-step, beginning withbasics like thickness and

coating. Once the basicstandardization is achieved theycan be updated periodically.

Concerning regulation andconstruction of boats, setting up ofboatyards, training of boatbuilders,enforcement of regulations andcertification, and availability ofpublic finance for boatyards, theworkshop observed:

• There’s no point in developingguidelines if politicians are noton board. Surveyors andboatbuilders should be trainedtogether to establish rapportwith one another, also to ensurethat they have the sameunderstanding of the material.

• The National EngineeringTraining Institute for fisheriesand boatbuilders in Sri Lankahas launched programmes atnational and regional levels.This institution is also capableof training inspectors.

• Surveyors should have anin-depth understanding of howboats should be built and whatthe regulations mean in practice.They should correct buildersbefore construction of a boat,not after.

• In Sri Lanka, the authorities arediscussing boat design witharchitects, who are guided byboat design manuals.

• Bank loans are available forboats; implementation ofstandards may make it easier toget those loans.

On the enforcement of regulationsin Sri Lanka and the adoption ofdraft guidelines for legislation inIndia, the workshop agreed that:

• In Sri Lanka, draft regulationsare being considered byParliament, but there is no planyet as regards enforcement.

• International standards on safetyat sea must be legislated inIndia, so that requirements onboat design, boatbuilding, andsafety at sea equipment can beenforced. The Ministry ofShipping can enforce safety atsea; state governments cansupervise other aspects incoordination with variousministries.

• The quickest way to effectchanges is to enforce lawsalready on the books.Registering boatyards does notneed new legislation. Butstakeholders must be consultedon the draft guidelines, whichmust be modified as needed.

• Consultation must be precededby an awareness drive withstakeholders on the what, whyand how of regulation. Such adrive will facilitate compliance.

Concluding session

Mr Jeremy Turner said theworkshop had methodicallyanalyzed problems on a wide rangesof issues. Member-countries had tostrive to bring in legislation andimplement it to improve sea safety.“Political will and a brave heart”were called for. Capt B Vormawahof IMO complimented theworkshop on a hard day’s work thathad ended well. She urged India andSri Lanka to accept the draftguidelines suggested by consultantsfor construction of FRP boats.

Chairperson M K R Nair said theworkshop had been thorough indiscussing problems and identifyingaction, all in a single day. It hadcome up with a roadmap forimplementation.

Dr Yadava said the workshop waseffective in shaping the project’sfuture activities. He thanked FAO,SIDA, IMO and NIOSH for theirsupport.


APFIC Meet ing

Asia-Pacific Fishery Commissionendorses past work, discussesfuture plans at meeting inManado, Indonesia

The Asia-Pacific FisheryCommission (APFIC), heldits 30th session in Manado,

North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on11-13 August 2008, Thirty threepersons – representatives from 15member-countries, plus observersfrom SEAFDEC, the BOBP-IGO,the Swedish Board of Fisheries andthe FAO – took part. The meetingfollowed the second session of theAPFIC Consultative Forum (seepages 26-28) at the same venue.

The meeting reviewed the activitiesof APFIC since the 29th session,deliberated on a draft overview onthe status and potential of fisheriesand aquaculture in the region,considered the recommendations ofthe second APFIC RegionalConsultative Forum Meeting(RCFM), discussed two expertworkshops organized by APFIC,endorsed major themes for the nextbiennium (2009-10) and alsodiscussed the organization’sstrategic plan for 2008-12.

Mr Ndiaga Gueye, Chief,International Institutions andLiaison Service, Fisheries &Aquaculture Department of FAOwelcomed participants on behalf ofMr Ichiro Nomura, AssistantDirector-General (Fisheries) of theFAO. Mr Freddy Numberi, Ministerof Marine Affairs and Fisheries,Republic of Indonesia, referred tohis country’s close co-operationwith FAO and APFIC. He cited theRPOA (Regional Plan of Action)initiated by Indonesia along withAustralia to promote responsiblefisheries practices includingcombating illegal, unreported and

unregulated fishing (IUU). Hedescribed it as the first regional planof its kind in the world.

APFIC activities since the 29th

session: The APFIC Secretarysummarized the main events andactivities undertaken by APFICsince its last session held in KulaLumpur (21-23 August 2006).These included

– Two regional workshops held in2007 in Phuket and Ho ChiMinh city.

– Collaboration with regional andinternational projects such asBOBP-IGO, Mekong RiverCommison, NACA, SEAFDEC,WorldFish Center and ICSF.

– Assistance to members, such asparticipation in the RPOA topromote responsible fishingpractices and technical inputsfor a workshop to consider therisks and benefits of introducingPenaeus vannamei into India.

– Information disseminationthrough an excellent medium,

the APFIC website (http://www.apfic.org), and14 publications.

Overview: Status and Potential ofFisheries and Aquaculture inAsia and the Pacific

The meeting heard a summary of adraft of this document. Somehighlights:

Asia accounted for 87 percent of the41.4 million persons engaged infisheries and aquaculture production.Total catch in tropical areas of theAsia-Pacific region was 23.1 milliontonnes. In tropical waters, coastalstocks may be more diverse andperhaps more resilient in the face ofheavy fishing pressure (in terms ofbiomass) than in temperate waters.Finfish requiring lower inputs (suchas tilapia, carps and barbs) have beenimportant food fish for developingstates of the Asia-Pacific region.Many of these species are grown andcultured in backyard ponds – anactivity often not captured in officialstatistics.

Asia-Pacific Fishery Commissionendorses past work, discussesfuture plans at meeting inManado, Indonesia


Dominant commercial speciesunder culture were brackishwatershrimps, freshwater prawns andfreshwater/brackish water crabs.Two major species accounted forover 60 percent of the totalcrustacean production in 2006 – thewhiteleg shrimp P.vannamei andthe giant tiger shrimp P.monodon.

Aquaculture production in theAsia-Pacific region was 46.3million tonnes – 90 percent of theglobal figure – sparked mainly bycontinued growth in China. SouthAsia’s aquaculture production hadtripled in 15 years, from 1.4 milliontonnes in 1991 to 4.2 million tonnesin 2006, and also diversified.

As for capture fisheries, thephenomenon of fishing down thefood chain – of capture of smallerand less valuable species – wasnoticeable. Shark catches werefalling in temperate waters, goingup in tropical waters. Tuna catches(the largest constituent of pelagicspecies) had declined steadily intemperate waters of the Asia-Pacificsince 1965.

The Commission recommended thatAPFIC member-countries providestatistics that include catch effortand vessel numbers; improveestimates of production frombackyard systems; provideimproved disaggregated reports ofthe production in aquaculture. TheCommission urged a ‘constructivedialogue’ on Marine ProtectedAreas between fisheries andenvironmental agencies to utilizetheir social and environmentalbenefits.

Regional workshops on capacitymanagement and certification

The findings and recommendationsof two APFIC regional consultativeworkshops on “Fishing capacitymanagement and IUU fishing”(Phuket, Thailand, 13-15 June,2007) and “Certification schemesfor capture fisheries andaquaculture” (Ho Chi Minh city,Viet Nam, 18-30 September 2007),both funded by Sweden, werediscussed.

The first workshop sought greaterawareness, understanding andaction on making fishing capacitycommensurate with the productivecapacity of the fishery resource andensuring its sustainable utilization.The workshop adopted a documenton how to address the issues ofIUU fishing and capacity reduction.The meeting agreed that theSoutheast Asia RPOA is a usefulframework for countries andregional organizations.

The second workshop reviewedcosts and opportunities associatedwith certification schemes forfisheries and aquaculture in theAPFIC region. The workshoprecognized that certification leads tomany benefits but several issuesmust be addressed first – such asregional involvement, inclusion ofsmall-scale fishers and farmers,harmonization of certificationschemes, cost-benefit analyses,good governance and stakeholderinvolvement and capacity-buildingat national and regional levels.Some recommendations were made.

The Commission was told thatmany APFIC countries haveapproved or are drafting nationalplans of action on IUU fishing. TheBOBP-IGO said it had initiated aprogramme on monitoring, controland surveillance (MCS), and thatnational action plans for MCS werebeing developed together withmember-countries. The secretariaturged members to send policyinformation to APFIC for uploadingon its website.

Members outlined measures theyhad taken to manage fishingcapacity, China has removed 26 000vessels from its marine fishery;80 000 fishers have left the fisheryand are being trained for onshorelivelihoods. India is capping itsmotorized artisanal fleet at 50 000craft and limiting the number ofcommercial vessels. Malaysia isreducing trawler capacity. ThePhilippines is refining zonation ofcoastal areas and shifting excesscapacity. Sri Lanka has completeda comprehensive census to establish

a database. Thailand has frozen thenumber of trawlers and push nets,brought in mesh size controls andundertaken a pilot low-cost vesselpositioning system.

On certification, the Commissionrecommended special attention toworkable certification schemes forsmall-scale farmers and fisherfolkand regional inputs to ensureharmonization of certificationschemes. It urged that certificationschemes should conform to FAOguidelines on ecolabelling ofmarine capture fisheries productsand the forthcoming FAOguidelines on certification ofaquaculture products.

The Commission endorsed therecommendations of the RCFM (seepages 26-28). It also heard accountsof regional arrangements andinitiatives such as the RPOA,SEAFDEC-ASEAN, the CoralTriangle Initiative, as well as the27th session of COFI (5-9 March2007) held in Rome. The secretariaturged members to inform COFIabout management initiatives in theBay of Bengal, the South ChinaSea, the Yellow Sea and other smallecosystems; implementation of theCCRF (Code of Conduct forResponsible Fisheries); applicationof the Code to aquaculture; andmeasures to control IUU fishing.

India informed the meeting that theCCRF is being translated into localIndian languages with the supportof the BOBP-IGO, and that thiswork would form the basis for anational CCRF. The BOBP-IGOpointed out that the CCRF wouldbe 13 years old in October 2008.A review would be timely.

The meeting was told that FAOguidelines for aquaculturecertification were being developed.Expert workshops for the purposehad been held in Bangkok (March2007) and Beijing (May 2008).

APFIC will hold its 31st session inSouth Korea in September 2010, inconjunction with the third RCFM.


APFIC Consultative Forum

Adapting to emerging challengesin the Asia-Pacific: APFICConsultative Forum holds usefulmeet in Manado, IndonesiaMany of the new and

emerging challenges tofisheries and aquaculture

in the Asia-Pacific were discussedat the Second Regional ConsultativeForum Meeting (RCFM) of theAsia-Pacific Fishery Commission(APFIC), held in Manado, NorthSulawesi, Indonesia, from 6-9August, 2008.

Participants exchanged ideas,experiences and insights onchallenges in the fisheries sector.Some valuable recommendationsemerged, some pathways toprogress were highlighted.

The theme title was “Adapting toemerging challenges: promotion ofeffective arrangements for themanagement of fisheries andaquaculture in the Asia-Pacificregion”.

The once-in-two-years RCFMserves as a forum for analysis,synthesis and agreement on actionsneeded to reshape fisheries andaquaculture in the Asia-Pacificregion. This second RCFMpreceded the 30th session of APFICheld later at the same venue. (Thefirst APFIC-RCFM which met inKuala Lumpur in 2006 focused onthe theme “Reforming fisheries andaquaculture in the Asia-Pacificregion”).

Ninety two persons from17 countries plus representativesfrom 15 organizations took part inthe second RCFM, which washosted by the Government ofIndonesia, the FAO and APFIC.

Prof. Widi Agoes Pratikto, APFICchairman and Secretary General,Ministry of Marine Affairs and

Fisheries (MMAF), Indonesia,welcomed participants. Mr IchiroNamura, Assistant Director-Generalof Fisheries, FAO, Rome, pointedout (in a message read out in hisabsence) that APFIC is the world’soldest fisheries commission. TheRCFM enables discussion andaction on the outcome of importantworkshops on select issues.Dr S H Sarundajang, Governor ofNorth Sulawesi, said APFIC’s roleas a policy platform was importantin a world of changing climate andchanging trade patterns.

Session 1 reviewed the “status andchallenges in fisheries andaquaculture in the region”. In hiskeynote address on “Adapting toemerging challenges”, Prof HasjimJalal, International Ocean LawAdviser to the Minister, MMAF,urged more effective synthesis ofscientific findings, greaterconsistency in implementation ofagreements, a shift in focus ofmember-countries from productionto sustainable use, improvedcost-effectiveness and efficiency,better monitoring and feedback onprogress.

Dr Simon Funge-Smith, APFICSecretary, summarized “Status andpotential of fisheries and

aquaculture in Asia and thePacific”. He said that in 2006,capture fisheries from the APFICregion made up 52 percent of globalproduction. Major trends in capturefisheries: a large increase in inlandfisheries in South Asia,improvement in quality of reportingfrom China, leveling-off ofproduction in Japan and SouthKorea. Aquaculture production inthe region accounted for more than90 percent of global production,China continued to be the dominantstate. In South Asia, inland waterculture production had tripled inthree years. He said member-countries should improve estimatesof production from backyardsystems. As regards the future, itlooked good – significant progressin fisheries governance,improvement in aquaculturemanagement – but many challengesstill needed to be addressed.

The session heard member-countries describe actions andachievements concerning itemsidentified by the 29th session ofAPFIC. These related mainly tomainstreaming co-management intofisheries management, and reducingthe catch of low-value/trash fish,especially from marine coastalwaters. Many countries reportedgood progress.

Session 2 discussed “Capacitymanagement and IUU fishing inthe Asia-Pacific region”. ThePhuket workshop of June 2007 onthe subject was recalled. Key stepsin capacity management wereassessing current capacity,developing national plans of action,and introducing rights-based

Adapting to emerging challengesin the Asia-Pacific: APFICConsultative Forum holds usefulmeet in Manado, Indonesia


measures. Excess fishing capacityshould be removed and nottransferred to other fisheries.On IUU fishing, steps must be takento ensure that flagged vessels do notundermine conservation andmanagement effort. APFICmembers ought to share data andinformation to tackle IUU fishing.

Regional initiatives to promotefisheries management – such asthose of SEAFDEC, the BOBP-IGO, COBSEA, the WWF’s CoralTriangle Programme, and theArafura-Timor Sea Action Plan –were outlined.

Session 3 discussed “certificationin fisheries and aquaculture” andrecalled the September 2007workshop on the subject held inHo Chi Minh city, Viet Nam.Mr Miao Weimin of the APFICSecretariat said there’s no magicformula to determine whetherparticular products or fisherieswarrant certification initiatives.Cost-benefit generalizations werenot advisable. He made suggestionsfor a cost-benefit analysis using asimple decision tree. Mr PhamTrong Yen from Viet Nam saidcertification schemes should be -considered not just for South-Northtrade but also for South-South trade.Mr Sena De Silva of the NACASecretariat referred to the workbeing done by FAO and NACA fortwo years on guidelines foraquaculture certification. The finaldraft of FAO guidelines on thesubject would be presented to thefourth meeting of COFI-AQ on6-10 October, 2008, in Puerta Varas,Chile.

Session 4 was devoted to “Countryinitiatives in combating IUUfishing and capacity managementand promoting certification infisheries and aquaculture”.Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia,China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan,Philippines, Republic of Korea,Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Namoutlined national efforts andchallenges. Some of the questionsraised during discussion related to

mitigating the impacts of climatechange; the rising costs of fuel; theuse of new technologies to managefisheries; and promotion of South-South cooperation.

The session chairperson said itcould not be assumed that joiningcertification schemes wouldautomatically mean more benefitsfor producers, but it might improvemarket access in some areas. Heurged that schemes being developedby member-countries should be inaccordance with FAO guidelines.The chairperson appreciated the‘increased openness’ betweencountries on IUU fishing.

Session 5 focused on “RegionalPolicy Issues and the Code ofConduct for ResponsibleFisheries”. Ms Gabriella Bianchi ofthe FAO reported on a 2008workshop held in Bangkok onassessment and management ofoffshore resources in South andSoutheast Asia. She said that thesecountries had policies to promoteand expand fishing farther offshorefrom their coasts. There wasconcern that the policy couldbackfire if not managed effectively.The workshop believed that theoffshore resources were ratherlimited, and in the case of oceanictuna, already heavily exploited.Several technological, social andecological constraints madeoffshore fishing a high-riskundertaking. The workshoprecommended a precautionaryapproach to offshore fishing in

South and Southeast Asia, startingwith in-depth economic feasibilitystudies and risk assessments.

Discussing “Marine protected areas(MPAs) and fisheries management– the human dimension,”Ms Ramya Rajagopalan of theInternational Collective in Supportof Fish Workers (ICSF), Chennai,said MPAs ranged from ‘no-take’ to‘multiple-use’ zones. She said ICSFhad examined six case-studies(from India, Thailand, Africa andLatin America) to look at ways inwhich livelihood concerns wereincorporated into MPAs. The casestudies showed loss of livelihoods,ineffective processes, dominance ofnatural science and neglect of socialscience, ineffective implementationof legislation, and poor flow-backof economic and social benefits tocommunities. The speaker urged ahuman rights approach to MPAs.Replying to a question, she saidMPAs were often designed byenvironmental ministries forenvironmental reasons withoutconsidering social objectives.

Discussing “Global drivers andtheir implications for SoutheastAsian fisheries,” Mr Steven Hall,Director-General of the WorldFishCenter, said the most obviousdrivers were trade and markets.Global climate and environmentwere other major drivers. Manystudies had been carried out aboutthe impact on resources, but fewabout the impact on communities.A vulnerability map showed Africa

The APFIC Consultative Forum Meeting in progress.


and sub-saharan Africa to be themost vulnerable to climate change,while large impacts were also felt inAsia.

Other presentations during thesession were on “Fisheriesassessments – a tool formanagement?”, “Promoting long-term sustainable management ofmarine fisheries by addressingillegal, unreported and unregulatedfishing – issues and challenges forthe APFIC region”, “Adapting tochallenges – water development andinland fisheries,” “Aquaculturedevelopments in the Asian regionand associated issues that needattention.”

Session 6 highlighted “New areasof APFIC’s work”. Dr DerekStaples, FAO-APFIC Consultant,focused on implementation of theCode of Conduct for ResponsibleFisheries through the EcosystemApproach. The speaker said that theecosystem approach –recommended by the WorldSummit on SustainableDevelopment held in 2002 — couldbe defined as “a strategy for theintegrated management of land,water and living resources thatpromoted conservation andsustainable use in an equitableway”. In a fisheries context, theecosystem approach to fisheriesemphasizes the management of allthe major components in anecosystem, including associatedspecies, habitats and vulnerablespecies, and also the social andeconomic benefits that can bederived from harvesting fish.

Mr Richard Gregory, FAO-APFICConsultant, made a presentation on“Reducing vulnerability andimproving fisheries livelihoods ofcoastal communities”. He saidmany fishing communities werecaught in a poverty trap. Adeclining resource base demandedmore fishing and increased costs –which drove them deeper intopoverty. Finding alternativelivelihoods for these people was noteasy, since most of them hadlimited access to land, capital orassets.

He said livelihood alternativescould be within a community oroutside it, and either extractive ornon-extractive. Aquaculture was anextractive option within thecommunity. But it had negativeimpacts – it could suppress the localprice of fish, and sustainability wasquestionable. Improving marketopportunities would be useful, butthis was difficult in remote areas.

Non-extractive options such astourism might not benefit manyfishers. At best, fishers could behired to man tourist boats. Smallshops needed business skills.Handicrafts and village industrieswere an option; access to capitaland credit posed problems.

It is time to face up to some truths,Mr Gregory said. Many coastalfishers didn’t want their children totake up their occupation.Governments had a responsibility toassist fishers to diversify. The nextgeneration would need educationand skill training and discover newopportunities and options.

Summary and Recommendations

The Forum felt that significantadvances had been made inreforming fisheries, but there wasneed for more effectivemanagement. Aquaculture offeredopportunities, but its performancehad to improve.

The Forum said progress had beenmade in reducing low-value/trashfish production, reducing trawlsector capacity, improving valueaddition and improving fishhandling and utilization. Butproduction of low-value/trash fishcontinued to be significant, and thisraised concerns about the growthoverfishing.

The Forum emphasized thatco-management approaches shouldbe mainstreamed into fisheriesmanagement, Feedback frommember-countries showed that thiswas happening. Co-managementapproaches differed acrosscountries: the common feature wasbetter dialogue on decision-makingbetween fisheries agencies, fishersand fish farmers.

The forum recommended thatAPFIC should continue to facilitateinformation sharing betweenregional organizations on key issuesrelating to fisheries and aquaculture.APFIC should monitor recentchanges in member-countries’policies – specifically,developments relating to IUUfishing, managing fishing capacity,certification, co-management andlow value/trash fish.

The Forum identified a dozen tasksfor implementation, including thefollowing:

• review how fisheries andaquaculture can adapt or evenbenefit from climate change;

• evaluate the benefits (human andenvironmental) of MPAs andtheir trade-offs;

• assess the impact of subsidies onfisheries and aquaculture in theregion and the effect of theirremoval;

• identify positive and negativeimpacts of reducing fishingovercapacity;

• promote harmonization of foodstandards and certificationsystems for member-countries;

• develop regional cooperation tomanage fishing capacity andcombat IUU fishing;

• report on changing markets andtrade in the region, in particularthe effects of FTAs, economicintegration and the WTO;

• review the implications ofincreasing fuel and feed priceson the sector; and

• plan for water development withminimal negative impact oninland fisheries.

Bunaken National Marine Park,Manado


Safe ty a t Sea

Developing Guidelines for Safetyat Sea: Expert Consultation inRome Provides Guidance

Safety at sea is a critical issuein fisheries. Governmentsneed help in providing

guidelines to improve safety.

An expert consultation in Romeheld from 10 to 13 November,2008, did just that – it came up withan outline for the development ofguidelines for best practices toimprove safety at sea.

The Consultation was funded byNIOSH (National Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health)through the BOBP-IGO, and theGovernment of Norway through theFAO FishCode Programme. Sixteenpersons took part in theConsultation.

Welcoming participants, Mr GrimurValdimarsson, Director of the FishProducts and Industry Division,FAO Rome, said that more than24 000 fishing-related deathsoccurred every year. He said that inmerchant vessels, a majority of thehazardous operations were carriedout in the safety of a port; but insmall fishing vessels, crews workedat sea in all types of weather.

He said that human error rather thanfaulty design, construction orequipment of vessels, wasresponsible for about 80 percent ofthe accidents.

Mr Jeremy Turner, chief of theFAO’s Fishing Technology Service,ascribed fatalities in fisheries topoor-quality vessels and equipmentas well as to human failure.Regulation could address the formerissue, a broader range ofinterventions was needed toeliminate the latter. Economicpressures made owners and skippersresort to cost-cutting on vesselmaintenance, safety equipment,labour and working conditions.These contributed greatly to humanerror and accidents. Holisticsolutions were needed thataddressed social, economic andtechnical dimensions.

The resource person from the IMO,Mr Hiroyuki Yamada, said that thelong-standing cooperation betweenFAO, ILO and IMO had yielded arange of instruments related to thesafety of fishers and fishing vessels.Collaboration focused currently on

safety recommendations for deckedfishing vessels less than 12 m long,and undecked fishing vessels, aswell as on guidelines to assist theimplementation of the FAO/ILO/IMO Code of Safety.

Dr Jennifer Lincoln (an injuryepidemiologist with NIOSH)summarized a paper based ona FAO/NIOSH study on therelationship between fisheriesmanagement and safety at sea.Sixteen case studies from aroundthe world were part of the study.The Consultation stressed the needfor a shared understanding betweenfisheries managers and safetyprofessionals, and urged them towork together.

The Consultation recognized thespecial needs of developingcountries in implementingguidelines for safety at sea.To remove constraints to a safetypolicy, technical and legalassistance might be needed; alsoassistance in the areas of datacollection and analysis, capacity-building, scientific cooperation, and

A view of the city of Rome from FAO Headquarters.

Developing Guidelines for Safetyat Sea: Expert Consultation inRome Provides Guidance


the training of trainers andextension workers. TheConsultation noted that specialattention might have to be paid toavailable and affordable safetyequipment and servicing facilities.

Outline for guidelines on bestpractices for safety at sea

The outline for the development ofguidelines was based on fourinterlinked ‘pillars’. Under the firstpillar, a baseline assessment ofsafety issues is proposed throughdata collection and analysis ofaccidents in fisheries.

The second pillar is devoted tocreating an inventory or baselinesurvey that provides acomprehensive overview of allaspects of national fisheries.

In the third pillar, informationprovided under pillars 1 and 2 is tobe analysed to identify safetyproblems and their causes. Thisanalysis would be used to developsolutions and measures formitigation. The fourth pillar wouldconcentrate on implementation andpromotion of the strategy. It includesrecommendations on how toadvocate, manage and influencechange and evaluate progress.

Here are important points from thefour pillars. For complete details,please see FAO Fisheries andAquaculture Report No 888 (Reportof the Expert Consultation on bestpractices for safety at sea in thefisheries sector)

Pillar 1 – Data collection andanalysis to improve safety

Guidance will be provided on:• The need for accident/incident

data collection, interpretation andanalysis,

• Design of data collection systems(Data sources may include recordsheld by the Coast Guard, theNavy, insurance companies,traditional power structures,police, death registers andcoroners’ inquests, as well asanecdotal evidence from crewmembers, communities andfamilies),

• Preparation of a standard form foraccident data collection,

• Systems for centralized collectionof data from decentralizedsources,

• Collection of accident and injurydata in remote areas,

• Collection of accident and injurydata from confidential sources,and

• Comparing costs of accidentprevention versus search andrescue operations.

Pillar 2 – National fisheries sectorinventory• Comprehensive reports reviewing

all national fisheries,• Numbers of people involved in

fisheries, numbers and types offishing vessels as well as non-fishing vessels dedicated tosupporting activities in fisheries,

• Socio-economic analysis of fishercommunities and fleet segments,

• A summary of national fisheriesmanagement objectives andregulations,

• Definition of links between allconcerned administrations,

• Identification of vessel owners,and organizations concerned withfish processing and marketing andfisher representatives,

• Training facilities in fisheries,numbers of qualified trainers andextension specialists,

• Availability of qualifiedexaminers in areas of certificationof fishing vessel personnel,

• Legal requirements forconsultation/cooperation betweenministries and administrations,

• Status of existing nationallegislation directly or indirectlyrelated to fishing vessel safety,

• Identification of procedures andconditions for licensing andregistration,

• Identification of constructionstandards for fishing vessels andcertification requirements,

• Identification of manufacturersand suppliers within the countryproviding safety equipment,machinery and services,

• Lists of insurance brokers, and• Historic data on fatalities and

injuries.

Pillar 3 – Problems, solutions andsafety strategy development

Analytical tools

A strategy for improved safety andguidance, including the use ofanalytical tools, should determinedirect contributing factors tofatalities, injuries and vesselcasualties before, after and duringthe event, such as:• Human factors (fatigue, stress,

lack of training, risk-takingbehaviour, drug abuse, safetyculture),

• Fisheries management regimes(overcapacity, excessivecompetition),

• Regulatory measures (unclear,inappropriate or out-of-dateregulations, gaps or contradictions

Participants at the Expert Consultation.


among applicable regulations,particularly regarding registrationand fishing authorizationprocedures),

• Vessel and equipment (poordesign and construction,inadequate crew facilities andmedical supplies, poormaintenance, lack of qualityboatbuilders),

• Physical environment (weather,wind, waves, poor visibility, etc),and

• Operational factors, includingvessel management, aids tonavigation, navigational error.

Strategy development

For mitigation or solution ofidentified problems, guidanceshould be provided on thedevelopment of strategies,participatory mechanisms andimplementation programmes,including elements such as:

• A mechanism to ensure broadstakeholder consultation andparticipation (which may includefish processing and marketingcompanies, safety equipment andengine suppliers, boatyards,scientific research and traininginstitutes,

• Analysis of the value of existinglegislation, preparation ofamendments to existing legislationor new legislation,

• Implementation of training needsassessment and voluntary andmandatory training for fishers andinspectors as well as fisheries andmaritime administrationpersonnel,

• Analysis of direct and indirectrelationship between fisheriesmanagement measures and safetyat sea,

• Evaluation of factors arising fromincreased investment, effort andrisk,

• The significance of fiscal policiesand their effect on safety,

• Development of an effectiveframework for cooperationbetween fisheries and maritimeand other concernedadministrations at the nationallevel,

• Importance of awareness-raisingcampaigns on safety among fishercommunities, and empowermentof fishers in the decision-makingprocess through the participatoryapproach, and

• Early warning systems, disasterpreparedness, risk reductionplanning and implementation andother mitigation arrangements.

Pillar 4 – Managing Change

Drawing upon the data collectionand analysis, inventories andproblems, and the solutionsidentified, Pillar 4 will seek to

promote an overall strategy on howto manage or influence change.Plans of action with measurablegoals and objectives to monitorprogress and evaluate impact willbe developed. Guidance will beprovided on the need -• To raise political will and

commitment for improving safety,• To identify pressure groups to

bring about change,• To empower all stakeholders to

take identified action, and whereapplicable, the formation of asafety committee (fisheries andmaritime administrations, traininginstitutions, fishing boat ownersand operators, fisher unions,cooperatives, families, insuranceentities),

• To consider the value of formalclassroom and informal training,

• For consultation among allstakeholders, the objective beingthat people in fisheries take on theonus for best practices to improvehealth and safety,

• To provide the resources to bringabout change, including skills,expertise, time and financing toensure change through action,performance and accountability,

• For quality project design andformulation, including progressindicators, and addressingimplementation, ongoingmonitoring and evaluation, andcorrection and adjustment,

• For the development of acommunication strategy, fordistribution of all pertinentinformation and awareness-raising, and

• To use mentors to enhancecommunication with fishers.

The Consultation has asked theFAO Secretariat to proceed with thedevelopment of guidelines on thebasis of the outlines summarizedabove. Experts present at theConsultation will be involved in theeffort. Expertise in the ILO andIMO secretariats will be tapped.

Participants of the ExpertConsultation.

Jeremy Turner Jennifer Lincoln GudrunPetursdottir

Michel Blanc Brandt Wagner

Jim Sandkvist

Ari Gudmundsson

Nigel Campbell G J Garrido Lubna Al-KharusiAkihiko Matsuda

Victor M Santos-Pedro

Jonathan ODickson

Yugraj Yadava Robert Lee


Text and Photographs byY S Yadava

Thinadhoo Island, MaldivesThinadhoo Island, MaldivesThinadhoo Island, MaldivesThinadhoo Island, MaldivesThinadhoo Island, Maldives

Maldives is an archipelago of 1 190low-lying coral islands grouped into26 atolls. The country has an arealess than 300 sq. km and a totalcoastline of 644 kilometers. Some200 islands are inhabited. Thepopulation of the Maldives (July2000) was estimated at about320 000. Only five islands have apopulation more than 3 000.

Thinadhoo (Gaafu Dhaalu atoll) isone of the most highly populatedislands in the southern part of theMaldives, and an economic hub ofthe area, with an airport close by. Itsarea: 58.10 ha; Population: 6 376.

A BOBP-IGO-NIOSH mission –Dr George A Conway, Director,Alaska Centre of the NationalInstitute for Occupational Safetyand Health, USA, Ms ElizabethConway, Research Assistant andDr Y S Yadava – visited ThinadhooJuly 17-19, 2008. Objective: Toassess safety-at sea requirements offishers in the southern islands of theMaldives as well as the accidentreporting system in fisheries.Mr Ahmed Rashid, FisheriesResearch Officer, accompanied themission.

Island chief Nasir Ahmed gave themission a brief tour. They saw thenewly-constructed ice plant and thefish market (both being post-tsunami initiatives) and theboatbuilding industry. Boats beingbuilt ranged in length from 100 to120 feet. The mission also visitedthe Thinadhoo hospital.

At a stakeholder meeting organizedin the evening, a large group oflocal fishers took part and told themission about their needs andproblems. Thinadhoo has some 400active fishers. The main speciescaught? “Tuna, tuna and tuna”, saida fisherman. All the fishers engagein pole and line tuna fishing, mainlyin the atolls. “Fish stocks seem to

be going down every year,” onefisher grumbled. “We have to travellong distances for bait fishing. Ourcost of operations is going up.”

The fishers do not regard fishing asa hazardous occupation. In fact, nomajor fishing-related accident hasbeen reported in more than twodecades (except the March 2004incident, when a boat carrying 126passengers capsized, killing 21).One reason could be that the fishersoperate only within the atolls and inclear weather – they do not fishwhen conditions turn rough.

Injuries are sometimes caused byhooks. One fisher even lost an eye.Many fishers have now startedwearing helmets to protect facesand eyes. They dive deep to catchtuna bait. (Scuba tanks havereplaced the once-popular‘hookahs’ or surface lines).Sometimes they are victims ofdecompression sickness. Eyeproblems are common due toprolonged exposure to brightsunlight.

As for safety equipment, the fisherscarry satellite phones, GPS and SSBradios, besides life jackets and lifebelts. They are adroit swimmers andskilled navigators and claim a bit ofmechanical aptitude as well – theycan attend to minor repairsthemselves.

The fishers complained aboutindiscriminate boatbuilding in theIsland – neither any quality controlnor inspection. New boatsconstructed are stretched models ofolder versions, with no modificationin structural design. Recently, a120 ft fishing boat broke into two –it had been stretched too far. Thefishers are not insured, but they planto go in for insurance.

The photographs on this and thefacing page provide glimpses intoThinadhoo Island, and into thelifestyle and work style of thefishers.


3

4

5


Map of GaafuDhaalu Atoll(Thinadhoo Island)

1- Boat construction in progress; 2- The mission with local fishers; 3- Thenewly constructed fish market; 4- Pole & line fishing vessels lined up at thejetty; 5- Aerial view of Thinadhoo Island.


2

1


C l imate Change

Impacts of Climate Change onCoastal and Marine FisheriesResources in Bangladesh*

Bangladesh has an area of147 570 sq. km and apopulation of 156 million.

It is bordered by India andMyanmar, with the Bay of Bengaland the North Indian Ocean to thesouth and the Himalayas to thenorth.

Climatically, Bangladesh is one ofthe world’s most vulnerablecountries (Table 1). Frequent naturaldisasters such as cyclones causeloss of life and damage toinfrastructure, economic assets, andlivelihoods. Much of the country isroutinely inundated during thesummer monsoon. High populationdensity and poverty aggravate thevulnerability. The population ofBangladesh may swell to over 200million by 2050 (WB and BCAS1998).

Climate change is a long-termphenomenon. Scenarios for 2030and 2050 for Bangladesh have beendeveloped under the United StatesCountry Study Program, also by theWorld Bank (Table 2).

According to IPCC (2001), thefollowing changes related to theBay of Bengal have been observedin Bangladesh in the form ofclimate trends, variability andextreme events:

• Average temperature hasregistered an increasing trend ofabout 1°C in May and 0.5°C inNovember during the 14 -yearperiod from 1985 to 1998.

• The annual mean rainfall hasbeen increasing and decadal rainanomalies have exceeded thelong-term average since 1960s.

• Serious and recurring floodshave taken place during 2002,2003 and 2004. Cyclonesoriginating from the Bay of

Bengal have been noted todecrease since 1970 but theintensity has increased.

• Frequency of monsoondepressions and cycloneformation in the Bay of Bengalhas increased.

• Salt water from the Bay ofBengal is reported to havepenetrated 100 km or moreinland along tributary channelsduring the dry season.

The coastal and marineenvironment of Bangladesh

The Bay of Bengal, the marine areaof Bangladesh, is characterized bya semi-enclosed tropical basin. Thecoastline of the country comprisesabout 710 km extending from thetip of Teknaf in the south-east to thesouth-west coast of Satkhira (Fig.1).As a result, an area more than166 000 km2 along a 710 kmcoastline comes under the economicjurisdiction of Bangladesh for

* M. G. Hussain, Director General, BangladeshFisheries Research Institute (BFRI),Mymensingh. M. Enamul Hoq, ProjectDirector, Support to Sustainable Developmentof BOBLME Project, BFRI, Mymensingh.

Impacts of Climate Change onCoastal and Marine FisheriesResources in Bangladesh*


exploration, exploitation,conservation and management of itsmarine resources.

Climate vulnerabilityEl Niño and La Nina

Some studies report that the El NiñoSouthern Oscillation eventsinfluenced the record-breakingfloods of 1987, 1988 and 1998(Chowdhury, 1998).

The rapid transformation ofLa Nina from the El Niño phase ofearly 1998 is said to haveinfluenced high rates ofprecipitation over the entire GBMcatchment basin. As a result, aprolonged dry season was followedby the wettest monsoon –eventually leading to the deluge ofthe century. Global events cantherefore have ominous localweather effects.

Flooding

Analysis of past floods suggeststhat, about 26 percent ofBangladesh is subject to annualflooding. An additional 42 percentis at risk of flood with variedintensity (Ahmed and Mirza, 2000).A 10 percent increase in monsoonprecipitation in Bangladesh couldincrease runoff depth by 18 to 22percent, resulting in a seven foldincrease in the probability of anextremely wet year (Qureshi andHobbie, 1994).

Cyclones and storm surges

A tropical cyclone hits Bangladesh,on an average, every three years.These storms generally form in themonths just before and after themonsoon and intensify as theymove north over the warm waters ofthe Bay of Bengal. Storm surges arehigher in Bangladesh than inneighboring countries because theBay of Bengal narrows towards thenorth, where Bangladesh is located.In recent years, general cyclonicactivity in the Bay of Bengal hasbecome more frequent, making theseas rougher and making lifedifficult for fishermen and makingsmall craft difficult to use.

Table 2. Climate change scenarios for Bangladesh in 2030 and 2050

Year SLR Temperature Precipitation fluctuation Changes in evaporation(cm) increase (0C) compared to 1990 (%)

2030 30 +0.7 in monsoon -3 in winter +0.9 in winter+1.3 in winter +11 in monsoon +15.8 in monsoon

2050 50 +1.1 in monsoon -37 in winter 0 in winter+1.8 in winter +28 in monsoon 16.7 in monsoon

Source: UNFCCC (2002)

Table 1. Major climate-vulnerable countries(Deaths/100 000 people exposed to floods or cyclones)

Floods Tropical cyclones

1 Venezuela 4.9 1 Bangladesh 32.1

2 Afghanistan 4.3 2 India 20.2

3 Pakistan 2.2 3 Philippines 8.3

4 China 1.4 4 Honduras 7.3

5 India 1.2 5 Vietnam 5.5

6 Bangladesh 1.1 6 China 2.8

Source: UNDP (2004)

Figure 1. Coastal zone of Bangladesh


Sea level rise in Bangladesh

Another critical variable thatdetermines the vulnerability ofBangladesh to climate changeimpact is the magnitude of sea levelrise.

Impact on fisheries andaquaculture

Sea level rise and consequentchanges to the river estuary cantrigger changes in fish habitat andbreeding ground. Penaeid prawnsbreed and develop in brackishwater, where salt water and freshwater mixes. Sea level rise wouldturn this interface backward,changing the natural habitat of theprawn population. There are some60 shrimp hatcheries and 120shrimp processing plants in thecoastal zone of Bangladesh. Thehatcheries are located along the seabeach at Cox’s Bazar. Favourableenvironmental condition and broodstock availability are the mainreasons to set up hatcheries in thatarea. Some hatcheries have also

started trial and experimentalproduction in Chittagong andSatkhira coast. These districts arelocated in coastal zones vulnerableto sea level rise – making theshrimp hatcheries and shrimp fieldsvulnerable as well.

Sea level rise helps shrimp farmingin one way – by introducing salinityin the coastal area. But floodingcaused by sea level rise can

inundate shrimp ponds and destroythis prospective foreign exchangeearner. It can also affect the dry fishindustry.

Climate change and theSundarbans ecosystem

On the basis of differentvulnerability indicators foraccelerated sea level rise, theWoods Hole Oceanographic

* The figures in parenthesis indicate percent of total

Table 4. Marine fish production (MT) in Bangladesh

Year Industrial Artisanal Total

1997-1998 15 273 (5.60) 257 545 (94.40) 272 818

1998-1999 15 818 (5.11) 293 979 (94.89) 309 797

1999-2000 16 304 (4.88) 317 495 (95.12) 333 799

2000-2001 23 901 (6.30) 344 596 (93.70) 379 497

2001-2002 25 165 (6.06) 390 255 (93.94) 415 420

2002-2003 27 954 (6.47) 403 954 (93.53) 431 908

2003-2004 32 606 (7.16) 422 601 (92.84) 455 207

2004-2005 34 114 (7.18) 440 483 (92.81) 474 597

2005-2006 34 084 (7.10) 445 726 (92.90) 479 810

2006-2007 35 391 (7.26) 452 047 (92.74) 487 438

Average 26 061 (6.30) 376 868 (93.70) 404 029


Institute (WHOI), 1986 produced alist of 27 low-lying countries. Thelist was headed by Bangladesh. TheBay of Bengal acts as a funnel forstorm events, creating severe stormsurges. These can raise sea levelabove tidal height and devastate alow-lying coast like that ofBangladesh.

The Sundarbans can be wiped outby a 1- metre rise in sea level(World Bank, 2000). Loss of theSundarbans would be catastrophic –a loss of heritage, of biodiversity, offisheries resources, of life andlivelihoods and of a very highproductive ecosystem.

Sea level rise can decreaseavailability of light for corals andthereby their growth. It can destroySt. Martin’s island, the only highlyproductive coral island ofBangladesh.

Climate change impacts on marinefisheries resources

Alteration of marine ecosystemsdue to climate change has bothdirect and indirect effects on fish –their reproduction, migration andsurvival.

Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) is thenational fish of Bangladesh. Itaccounts for 13-14 percent (valuedat around Tk 6 000 million, 1.3 %of GDP) of the total fish productionof Bangladesh. During the last twodecades hilsa production frominland waters declined about20 percent, whereas marine water

yield increased threefold. Majorhilsa catch has gradually shiftedfrom inland to marine waters.

Recent studies reveal that theavailability of hilsa is graduallydeclining in the Padma and Meghnariver catchment areas. Result: hilsaproduction in the rivers has beengoing down, while that in marinewaters has been going up. Similarconditions might occur for othermarine fish/shrimp species, but nostudy has yet been carried out inBangladesh.

Combating climate changes

In 2005, the Government ofBangladesh launched its NationalAdaptation Programme of Action(NAPA), in partnership with otherstakeholders. It identifiedadaptation needs to combat theeffects of climate change. TheClimate Change Cell in theDepartment of Environmentsupports the mainstreaming ofclimate change into nationaldevelopment planning.

Adaptation measures in fisheriesas prioritized in Bangladesh NAPA

• Promoting adaptation to coastalfisheries through culture of salttolerant fish, especially incoastal areas of Bangladesh.

• Adaptation to fisheries in areasprone to enhanced flooding inNorth East and Central Regionthrough adaptive and diversifiedfish culture practices.

• Reduction of climate changehazards through coastalforestation with communityfocus.

Adaptation options for climatechanges

Adaptation seeks to reduce theadverse effects of sea level rise onliving organisms, including humanand the environment. The ability toadapt and cope is a function ofwealth/income, technology,scientific and technical knowledgeand skills, information,infrastructure, policy andmanagement institutions and equity.

Sea level rise adaptation can beaddressed by changes in policiesthat lessen pressure on resources,improve management ofenvironmental risks, and enhanceadaptive capacity. As most of thepopulations of the coastalcommunities of Bangladesh arefishermen and farmers, theadaptation options should focus onthese two sectors. If we canimplement various adaptationoptions for coastal fisheries, asshown in the following Causal LoopDiagram (CLD) (see Fig. 2 on page38), we find that five loops mayreinforce to increase the fisheriesproduction. Foreign exchangeearned by coastal fisheries could bere-invested to develop the sector.

Coastal communities should beprepared to combat climate changethrough disaster preparednessactivities. A disaster calendarshould be prepared for thecommunities, so that they can safelypractise fish farming. Example:most cyclones in the coastal zoneoccur in October and May. Coastaldistrict Noakhali as well as Khulna,Satkhira and Patuakhali districtsshould be covered by the proposedcalendar. Fishermen should avoidthese districts for fishing and fishfarming during specified periods.

Weather forecasts on Bangladeshradio and television are usuallydelivered in an academic or literarystyle, not suitable for coastalfarmers and fishermen. Target


groups should be able to understandand react to forecasts. Local radiostations should broadcast specialprogrammes on issues relating tosea level rise.

Research should be conducted toidentify salinity-tolerant species incoastal fisheries. Species selectionshould be made for low, moderateand high saline environment. Afterselecting different species fordifferent zones or salineenvironments, fishermen should betrained in breeding and seedproduction techniques includingcultivation and harvesting of thespecies.

Future climate change strategyand action plan

The Government of Bangladesh iscommitted to strengthen thecountry’s resilience to climatechange, reduce risks posed tonational development; anddevelopment of the country along alow-carbon growth path. TheBangladesh Climate ChangeStrategy and Action Plan(BCCSAP) is a 10-year programme(2009-2018) to build the capacityand resilience of the country tomeet the challenge of climatechange (see box on page 39). It hasbeen developed through aparticipatory process involvingvarious ministries and agencies,research organizations and thebusiness community.

Role of Bangladesh FisheriesResearch Institute

The Bangladesh Fisheries ResearchInstitute (BFRI) is at the primarystage of a climate change study.BFRI has a long-term studyprogramme on hilsa fishery inBangladesh. Recently, a programmewas initiated on the impact ofclimate change on the maturity andspawning of hilsa in relation tohabitat degradation. Anothertechnical support programme isgoing on – to identify and analyzesound fisheries and aquaculture riskadaptation options in drought-proneareas of North West and coastalareas of South West Bangladesh.

Dependency on foreign aid

Poverty

R0R

R1

R2

R3

Health Inzard

Protein sourceForeign exchange

Investment in the fisheries sector

Research

New technology Breeding groundfor shrimp

Natural shrimp larvae

Flood

Cyclone frequencyand damage

Sea level rise

Climage Change

Participatorycommunity fund

Fishermen perception about disaster

Salinity intrusion

Disasterpreparedness

activities

Special weather forecasting

Artificial mangrove

Artificial mangrove

Coastal fisheriesof Bangladesh

Figure 2. Causal Loop Diagram for adaptation options of coastal fisheries with sealevel rise (Sarwar, 2005).

BFRI should in future heighten itsfocus on climate change impact onfisheries; it should in particularstrengthen research as well assurvey and monitoring capacity inmarine fisheries – which ispresently weak because of absenceof infrastructure (vessel) andtechnical manpower. TheDepartment of Fisheries is trying toobtain a research vessel for BFRIthrough the OIC-supported MarineCapacity Building Project.

Conclusions

Climate change impact inBangladesh is high, though thecountry’s greenhouse gas emissionsare low. The government needs topay keen attention to issues relatedto climate change impact, organizeresearch, develop salinity-tolerant

species in both agriculture andfisheries, and develop a strategy tocombat impact. Adaptation costsshould be recovered from coastalresources using economicinstruments.

Research is also needed to preservethe country’s biodiversity. Technicaland financial assistance from theinternational community isessential.

The main climate change impactson the marine environment are risein sea water temperature, salinityand sea level, drop in sea surfacepH, and changes in upwelling andwater mass movement, and thebehaviour of El Niño and La Nina,

Climate change would affect thedistribution and abundance ofmarine fish species. Many fishspecies have a narrow range ofoptimum temperatures related bothto their basic metabolism and theavailability of food organisms.Depending on the species, the areait occupies may expand, shrink orbe relocated. No specific researchhas yet been conducted in theseissues in Bangladesh and countries.A coordinated long-term researchproject on the impact of climatechange on marine resources in theAsia-Pacific region is an urgentneed.


Further reading:

Ahmed, A U and M M Q Mirza, 2000. Review of Causes andDimensions of Floods with Particular Reference to Flood ’98:‘National Perspectives’. In: Q K Ahmad, A K A Chowdhury,S H Imam & M Sarker (eds.) Perspectives on Flood, 1998. TheUniversity Press Limited, Dhaka. 142p.

Chowdhury, A, 1998. Disasters: Issues and Responses, In:Gain, P (ed.), Bangladesh Environment: Facing 21st Century,SEHD, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

IPCC, 2001. Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation andVulnerability, Cambridge University Press, UK.

Qureshi, A and D Hobbie (eds.), 1994. Climate Change in Asia:Thematic Overview. Asian Development Bank, Manila. 351p.

BCCSAP of Bangladesh concerning fisheries and biodiversity

Sarwar, M G Mahabub, 2005. Impacts of sea level rise on thecoastal zone of Bangladesh. Thesis, Lund University.International Masters Programme in Environmental Science.Lund University, Sweden. 45p.

UNDP, 2004. A Global Report: Reducing Disaster Risk:A Challenge for Development. http://www.undp.org/bcpr.

WHOI (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute), 1986. http://www.whoi.com.

World Bank, 2000. Bangladesh. Climate Change &Sustainable Development. Report No. 21104 BD, Dhaka.

World Bank and BCAS, 1998. Bangladesh 2020: A Long-runPerspective Study. The World Bank & Bangladesh Centre forAdvanced Studies (BCAS). The University Press Limited,Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Programme and time-frame Justification Specific actions

The development of adaptation strategies • Assess potential threats to fishin the fisheries sector (mid to long-term) spawning and growth of fish in the

freshwater fisheries sector anddevelop adaptive measures, includingfish farming and river-based cageaquaculture, etc.

• Assess potential threats to fishspawning and growth of fish in thecoastal zone and brackish water anddevelop appropriate adaptive measuresand mariculture practices.

• Assess potential impacts on theshrimp sector and developappropriate adaptive measures andcultural practices.

• Assess potential threats to themarine fish sector and developadaptive measures to protect theseresources

Monitoring of ecosystem and biodiversity • Set up a well-designed monitoringchanges and their impacts system to evaluate changes in(mid to long-term) ecosystem and biodiversity,

covering all important and sensitiveecosystems.

• Develop participatory monitoringsystems by involving trained peoplesuch as school teachers, communitiesand academic researchers.

• Report changes in ecosystems andbiodiversity and assess theimplications, including those for thelivelihoods of local people, andrecommend adaptation measures.

Source: MOEF (2008)

Climate change is likely to adversely affectfreshwater and marine fisheries resources inBangladesh. For example: the spawning offreshwater and marine species may be affected.Water temperatures in fresh, brackish and marinewaters may go up. Saline waters may extendfurther inland in the south of the country. Thiswill alter existing aquatic ecosystems andproduction of fish. There may be turbulentweather along the coast for longer periods,impacting on the livelihoods of fishermen.

These potential impacts must be identified andresearched and management strategies developed,tested and made ready, in anticipation ofclimate-related changes.

One of the objectives of the UNFCCC is tourgently reduce green house gas emissions, sothat ecosystems and their flora and fauna havetime to adjust to climate change. Salinity levelsare also likely to increase significantly in thecoastal belt.

Mangrove ecosystems, which are already underserious stress for anthropogenic reasons willsuffer heavily due to further increases in salinity.These could alter the entire ecosystem of theSundarbans and cause the extinction of somevaluable fish/shrimp and other aquatic species.

In view of these expected changes, a systematicmonitoring mechanism should be put in place toassess the impact of climate change onecosystems and bio-diversity. A participatoryimpact monitoring mechanism involvingcommunities and experts will be designed.Pertinent physical, chemical and biological datawill be collected. Changes that take place inlivelihood patterns due to ecological andbiodiversity changes will be assessed and policyrecommendations and appropriate actionssuggested.


Safe ty a t Sea

AndreasWesterberg,a profile

Andreas Westerberg, 33, joined the BOBP-IGO inChennai as Fishery Officer in FAO’s Global

Project on Safety at Sea for Small-Scale Fisheries inDeveloping Countries (South Asia) in late 2008. Theassignment is till June 2009.

Andreas hails from Linköping, Östergötland,Sweden, where he served as a Project Coordinatorfor the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA). Aneconomist, Andreas also holds a post-graduatedegree in Maritime Affairs from the World MaritimeUniversity, Malmö, and in Business Administrationfrom the University of Gothenburg. He is also anable seaman trained in Crowd Management, SmallPleasure Craft Driving and VHF operation.

Andreas is enjoying his first overseas assignment –exploring local culture, experimenting with localcuisine, and helping out a children’s NGO. He is alinguist (proficient in Swedish, English, Spanish,French and Portuguese) and a competentphotographer. He talked with Bay of Bengal Newsabout his life and career.

Q: What were your duties at the Swedish MaritimeAdministration?

A: I worked with a project to offer a Search andRescue (SAR) Mission Coordination Course forEstonia. I also assisted the SAR unit at the SMA andthe Marine Rescue Coordination Centre. I wasresponsible for collecting SAR-related information,project planning, monitoring and implementation.

Q: Please elaborate on your safety-at-sea relatedexperiences.

A: A major goal of the SMA is to provide sustainabletransportation nationwide. Safe shipping for trading

and fishing vessels is an integral component ofsustainability. All our projects, including thoseI planned and implemented, aimed at enhancingsafety at sea. Earlier, I helped prepare a report on“Survey of strategic Swedish ports” for thegovernment. This work provided exposure tomaritime governance in Sweden and inter-agencyresponsibility sharing, which I hope will prove usefulin this project.

As financial officer in another project, concernedwith masterplan studies for the development offairways in the Baltic Sea, I enabled conflictresolution between fishing vessels and largermerchant vessels for safe fairways.

As regards technical experience, I have served as apilot dispatcher in the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS)center in Göteborg – a heavily congested area oftenused as a working area by fishing vessels. I carriedout coordination/logistic activities relating to pilotingin the Port of Göteborg.

While with the T/S Gunilla soon after my businessadministration studies, I was busy with fire drills,‘man overboard’ drills and other safety drills.

Q: You have been an editor and teacher as well.

A: I worked for some time with Smålandsposten, adaily newspaper, as local editor. I took photographs,wrote several articles and handled day-to-dayeditorial work. This experience proved handy forproducing an annual report on the development ofthe Swedish maritime sector for the SMA in 2006.I have also published several articles in journals ofthe World Maritime University and the University ofGothenburg.


Text: Y S Yadava & Masaaki SatoPhotographs: Y S Yadava

Fishing Ports of JapanFishing Ports of JapanFishing Ports of JapanFishing Ports of JapanFishing Ports of Japan

Gleaming, spotless, picture-postcard-perfect: Japan’s fishing harboursare icons of excellence in technology, management and upkeep.

“Big investment alone doesn’t ensure quality, it has to be marriedto discipline and commitment,” remarked a visitor.

While governments play a major role in planning and constructing theharbours, day-to-day upkeep is often the responsibility of fisheries

co-operative associations, and they do an impeccable job. Fishers andfisher associations in the Bay of Bengal region – take note!

Here’s a word-and-picture tour of Japan’s fishing portsillustrative, not comprehensive.

Japan has 2 917 fishing ports,distributed over five islands and42 Prefectures (or provinces).

A fishing port must be approved bythe Minister in the Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(MAFF) of the government of Japanbefore it can be commissioned.Local opinion is considered beforeapprovals are given. The cost ofcommissioning a fishing port isshared by the Fisheries Agency andthe Prefectural governmentconcerned. Japan’s fishing ports aremanaged either by Prefecturalgovernments or by municipalgovernments and they are of fourtypes, as described below:

Type 1 fishing ports (about 76 %of the total) are used mainly bylocal fishers.

Type II fishing ports (about 17 %of the total) cover a largeradministrative area as compared toType I fishing ports.

Type III fishing ports (about 4.0 %of the total) are used by fishingvessels of all the Prefectures ofJapan. Of these, there are 13 keyports, labeled as ‘Special Type III

Fishing Ports (STTFP)’, located inmajor fishing areas of Japan.

Type IV fishing ports (about 3.0 %of the total) are located in remoteislands and/ or geographicallydisadvantaged areas. These portshelp develop fishing grounds andshelter fishing vessels when theseas are rough.

Table 1 provides Island-wisedistribution of different categoriesof fishing ports in Japan.

Special Type III Fishing Ports: The13 STTFPs in Japan arestrategically distributed among11 Prefectures (Aomori, Miyagi,Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka,Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguci,Fukuoka, Nagasaki andKagoshima). Miyagi Prefecturealone has three STTFPs (Shiogama;Kesen-numa and Ishinomaki).

Kesen-numa port in MiyagiPrefecture is a famous hub for tuna

Table 1: Fishing ports in Japan

Note: The number of STTFP ports are included in Type III Fishing Ports.

Island/ Prefecture Type I Type II Type III Type IV Total

I. Hokkaido Island 215 30 18 21 284

II. Honshu Island 978 289 66 36 1369

III. Shikoku Island 344 48 8 4 404

IV. Kyushu Island 594 125 21 32 772

V. Okinawa Island 76 4 1 7 88

Total 2207 496 114 100 2917



longliners and shark fin vessels. Yaizu fishingport in Shizuoka Prefecture is Japan’s biggestfishing port for tuna landing. Many large tunalongliners (sizes ranging from 300 GT to 500GT) which operate in the Indian Ocean, theAtlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, unloadtheir catch at this port.

Makurazaki fishing port (Kagoshima Prefecturein Kyushu Island) is famous for landing ofskipjack (Katsuonus pelamis) pole and linefishing vessels. Shimonoseki fishing port(Yamaguci Prefecture) is famous for landing ofglobefish, or puffer fish (Fugu rubripes) fromautumn to winter. The puffer fish is quiteexpensive, and often fetches 5 000 yen/ kg (aboutUS$ 55/ kg at current exchange rate). The Hakatafishing port (Fukuoka Prefecture in the northerntip of Kyushu Island, close to Korea and China)is frequented by many Korean and Chinesefishing vessels to unload their catch. Fishtransport vessels from these countries alsofrequently visit this port.

Process of commissioning a fishing port

When fishers want a port, they raise the issue atthe general meeting of their FisheriesCooperative Association (FCA). A resolutionrequesting a port is sent to the local government(municipality and Prefectural Government),which in turn approaches the Fishing PortBuilding Consultative Committee. At the sametime, the local or Prefectural Governmentinspects the port site and draws up a plan, oftenemploying private consulting companies.

The FCA lobbies with members of the localassembly, the Prefectural assembly and nationalParliament members representing that Prefectureto hasten the decision-making process. Lobbyingis a part of the strategy – since it’s the Ministerwho has to approve of the port and the nationalgovernment that has to fund it. A tug-of-warbetween different governments and agencies overbudget allocation is common. The final power forsite selection rests with the Minister of MAFF.The Central government usually meets half of theexpense for a fishing port, and the Prefecturalgovernment the other half. Sometimes, the localgovernment (city or town) pitches in with25 percent.


1-Fishing port of Aji FCA located at Aji-cho,Takamatsu city, Kagawa Prefecture; 2-Fishing port at

Notsuke, Hokkaido; 3-Slipway facilities at a Fishingport operated by Nago FCA, Okinawa;

4- Fishing port operated by Shin Fukaura FCA inAomori Prefecture; 5 A fishing village with fishing

port facilities in Aomori Prefecture;6- Oodose Wholesale Fish Market, Aomori Prefecture.

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Table 2: Criteria for classification of fishing ports

Type of fishing port Criterion for classification of the port

Type I More than 25 fishing vessels; < 250 GT in total gross tonnage.(For ports facing the Sea of Japan (SoJ), < 18 fishing vesselsand < 175 GT). The catch landed should be < 1 125 metric tonsper year (for ports facing the SoJ, it is 788 metric tons). Theport has mooring and fish handling facilities and roads that arewider than 3m.

Type II More than 50 local fishing vessels, with < 500 GT. In(At least three Prefectures facing the SoJ (Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama,criteria are fulfilled) Ishikawa, Fukui, Kyoto, Hyogo, Tottori, and Shimane

Prefectures), the number is < 35 fishing vessels, with total grosstonnage <350 GT. More than 25 fishing vessels with < 250 GT.For ports facing SoJ, < 18 fishing vessels with <175 GT.The conditions for landing of catch and other facilities are sameas required for Type I Ports.

Type III More than 140 local fishing vessels, with gross tonnage(At least three < 2 400 GT. For Prefectures facing SoJ, < 98 fishing vesselscriteria are fulfilled) of < 1 680 GT. More than 70 fishing vessels with < 1 600 GT.

In case of Ports facing SoJ < 49 fishing vessels with grosstonnage < 1120 GT. The Annual fish landing at the Port shouldbe < 5 000 metric tons; for Ports facing the SoJ it should be< 3 500 metric tons. The port should have has mooring androad facilities (wider than 5.5 m) or a railway line; facilities forfish handling, vessel repair, water supply, fuel supply,ice-making, freezer and cold storage are also mandatory.

Type IV The port is especially necessary from the standpoint of fishingThe port should be The port should be ground development (as a base port forsituated either in development) and also situated either in as a shelter for fishingremote island or in vessels. Further, there should be no remote island or in suchgeographically port within 50 km radius. However, this criterion doesdisadvantaged area. geographically not apply for difficult areas (rapid currents,

topographical disadvantaged areas. irregularities, threateningoceanic and weather phenomena). The port is expected toprovide a reasonable calm water area. It must help strengthenthe safety and efficiency of two or more fishing ports nearbyand should strengthen development and assist in disastermitigation.

Criteria for selecting sites forfishing ports

Article 6 of the Fishing Port andFishing Ground Development Act(Law No. 137, 1950) lays out thecriteria for constructing a fishing port.The site should have an enablingnatural and economic environment,and should be used by local fishersas their base port. More than 20 localfishing vessels should patronize thesite, and there ought to be ajustification for a port (such as a needfor shelter). Table 2 specifies thecriteria for permitting various type offishing ports.

The Fishery Policy Council

Any changes to a fishing port(concerning fresh construction ormodernization, for example) must

be approved by the Minister ofMAFF, who will consult the FisheryPolicy Council (FPC) and ascertainthe views of local public entities aswell. The FPC (19 members plusadvisors) has three committees –a Planning Committee; a FisheriesResources Committee; and aFishing Port and Fishing GroundDevelopment Committee.

Source: Gyokou Gyojou Gyoson(Handbook of Japan’s Fishing Port,Fishing Ground and FishingCommunities, 2009).


1-4: Fishing boats operating fromports in Japan; 5:Early morning

auction in Hakodate Fishing port,Hokkaido.

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Field Activities

Safety at Sea in BangladeshBasic equipment and hands-on practicesdemonstrated to small-scale fishers

Artisanal and small-scalefisheries dominate themarine fisheries of

Bangladesh. A severe handicap ofartisanal fisheries is the absence ofnavigational, aid or communicationgadgets – and even knowledge orawareness of these gadgets. In fact,fishers set out without even lifejackets and life buoys, the mostbasic of personal protectionequipment (PPE). Hence, whencalamities strike – be they storms,pirates or boat malfunctions –casualties are high. In the absenceof any social security net, formal orinformal, a fisher’s death means adestitute family. Good news: Thissituation is about to change.

Under the Global Project on Safetyat Sea (South Asia), hands-ontraining sessions were organised inCox’s Bazaar (17-22 October 2008)to familiarize fishers with handheldGPS (global positioning system)and marine VHF Radio and promotethe use of PPE as well as ofemergency medicines and safedrinking water.

Demonstration of improvised PPE

Earlier that day, a large group ofskippers and crew assembled in theFishing Harbour operated by theBangladesh Fisheries DevelopmentCorporation (BFDC) in Cox’sBazaar to witness a demonstrationof GPS and PPEs by the CoastGuard officers. They were shownhow to wear a life jacket and how tostow it, and how to use a handheldGPS system. The fishers learnedhow to start a GPS, keep track ofthe cruising route, change pagesand note positions during distress.

For many fishers, the PPEdemonstration was an eye-opener.

Such is their belief in their ownswimming ability that they don’tregard PPE as essential. But theylearned from the Coast Guardtrainers that PPEs would keep themafloat and alive at sea even if theyfell unconscious. So many fishersdrowned every year despite beinggood swimmers – because they fellunconscious. Further, could theyswim much when the weather gotrough?

Float rings vs life jackets: Thedemonstration included a ‘contest’between locally improvised float-rings and a life jacket. The floatrings were made by bindingtogether 12-14 floats used to marknets. They are tied to the waist. The‘contest’ took place at the rivermouth near the BFDC Harbour. Theresult was inconclusive. Both floatrings and a life jacket can keep youafloat, but a life jacket is easier towear and more comfortable to use.On the other hand, the float ring isfar cheaper, and easier to store andmaintain as well.

The story of Jaladas and Kalidas

This happened in the third week ofJuly in 2007, at the start of the hilsaseason. Sanatan Jaladas was on thecrew of a 65 HP hilsa fishing vessel.

He and 24 others were on their wayto the Sundarbans. Disaster struck:bad weather, strong winds, vesselcapsize! Sanatan was lucky, hecaught hold of some marker floats,so did a few others. But he couldnot see Kalidas, his friend andneighbour. He was frantic, but all hecould do was keep afloat himself bytightening his grip. Two hours later,Sanatan was rescued by anotherfishing vessel. But he lost five of hiscolleagues to the storm – includingKalidas.

Safety-cum-health awarenessworkshop

To promote basic safety-and-healthpractices among the fishers, aworkshop was organised at DakshinDhurang Jelepara, a fishersettlement in Kutubdia upzilla,Cox’s Bazaar, on the morning of19 October 2008. Ferry servicesevery hour link Dakshin DhurangJelepara to the mainland.

This was the first time an expertteam was visiting the settlement, soa large group of men and womenturned out. COAST, an NGO,facilitated the workshop, which washeld in a local primary school.

The team consisted ofDr Y S Yadava (BOBP-IGO),Mr R Ravikumar (FAO),Dr Shariffuddin and Mr ZahirulHaque (Department of Fisheries),

Mr S Jayaraj and Mr RajdeepMukherjee (BOBP-IGO).Dr Misbah Uddin Ahmed, ResidentMedical Officer, GovernmentHospital, Cox’s Bazaar,accompanied the team.

During the three-hour session,fishers told the team about theirproblems out at sea. Most of them

Safety at Sea in BangladeshBasic equipment and hands-on practicesdemonstrated to small-scale fishers


The use of Marine VHF Radio is unheard of inartisanal fisheries in Bangladesh – thoughinternational safety conventions declare that the useof VHF is a must (It often serves as the last resort ofsurvival for a fishing vessel in distress). Of thecountry’s 44 000 marine fishing vessels, only some100 industrial trawlers have this facility.

On the afternoon of October 22, 2008, a group of15 majhis (skippers) of artisanal fishing vessels weretaken onboard the FV Moeen – a shrimp trawleroperating in the Bangladesh EEZ. Their trainers: twoofficers from the Bangladesh Coast Guard. Themajhis had 15 years of experience in fishing, but thiswas the first time they saw a VHF radio. They spentthe first half hour of the training session seeing andfeeling the device mounted on the cabin wall.

The majhis were all ears when the trainers explainedthe VHF device. They were told that it is a marinetransmitter-cum- receiver. It operates only onstandard international frequencies known aschannels. Channel 16 is the international distresschannel. Example: If fire breaks out in a vessel, thecrew can transmit a ‘fire’ message through thechannel and indicate their location.

As per international norms, ships and fishing vesselsalways keep their VHF active. When they pick up adistress call in their vicinity, they will rush to help.So will patrol boats of the Bangladesh Coast Guard.

Asked how a ship could locate the vessel in distress,the trainers pointed out that VHF radio is used inconjunction with the GPS system. Even a handheldGPS system can help to locate a vessel at sea. Asked

one majhi: did he have to speak in ingraji (English)on VHF radio? Not necessary in Bangladesh waters,assured the trainer, But he urged the majhis to getfamiliar with all-important English words like ‘fire’,‘engine trouble’ and ‘medical emergency’. Thisknowledge would be useful. The majhis had indeedheard these words before.

“Simply great” was the first reaction of Moktar majhiafter the demonstration. He remarked “Cell phonesdon’t work when we get to sea. During the day wecan shout or use hand signals, at night all that we cando is pray. I never knew that we could communicatedistress so easily.” He asked about the cost andavailability of the equipment.

The majhis felt that they could talk to their boatowners about equipping the vessels with VHF setsand handheld GPS. One majhi quipped Amago jaanna houk, nuakatare bachaibar loge to mahajanlagaitei pare! (“The owner should do this to save hisboat if not our lives.”)

Training in marine VHF radio and GPS


served as crew or as majhis skippersin fishing vessels that operated atDublachar in the Sundarbans.During the fishing season, theywere away from home for 5 to 6months. During this period, theystayed in the Sundarbans to catchhilsa, suri, dhaisa, roopchanda,ribbon fish, shrimp and loita. Saidthe fishers “We have no PPE. Theplastic or water containers andfloats are the only floatationdevices. We do carry radio sets andcell phones, but the phones are outof signal range. We carry somemedicines too. Diarrhea is a severeproblem. Every year, two or threedeaths occur on account ofdiarrhea.”

problems with the doctor andenquired about treatment in Cox’sBazaar.

The workshop ended with a culturalprogramme that conveyed themessages of safety at sea and goodhealth. A video documentary wasmade on the experiences of thefishers at sea and the problems afisher family confronts when theirbreadwinner dies.

Another workshop the followingday in another fisher settlement –Maijhgona jaladaspara, ChakoriaUpzilla, Kutubdia. And anotherNGO, BASTOB, facilitated thisworkshop, held in the communityhall of the Jaladaspara. The villagehad a cyclone-warning flag postmaintained by the villagers.Dr Shariffuddin explained theobjective of the workshop.Mr Zahirul Haque demonstrated theuse of improvised marker floats as afloatation device.

The fishers shared their experienceson safety issues with the team. Theysaid that piracy was a major threat;every year, hundreds of dacoitieswere common in the Cox’s Bazaararea. Communication was a majorproblem, they said. They carriedcell phones (which didn’t work in

the sea) and transistors (which oftenbroke down). The team advised thefishers about proper maintenance oftransistor sets and about the need tofrequently check the weatherbulletin. The fishers complainedthat they were made to work evenwhen cyclone signal 3 wasannounced. Said one fisher: “Catchrate of fish before a storm is high,hence the skipper encourages thecrew to linger and keep fishing.”

Video documentary

Engine malfunction is behind muchof the distress that afflicts fishingvessels out at sea. There are some44 000 fishing vessels inBangladesh of which a majority useengines for propulsion. Most ofthese engines are reconditioned –new engines are costly. Fishersbelieve that the reconditionedengines work well enough. Butwhen they are not properlymaintained, these reconditionedengines break down during avoyage and endanger the lives ofcrew.

The BOBP-IGO enlistedMr M Srinath, an expert in engines,to help out with an educationalvideo on engine maintenance forthe fishers of Bangladesh. The firstround of shooting for this video wasdone during 16-23 October in Cox’sBazaar and Chittagong. It focusedon basic facts about the commontype of engines in use inBangladesh, their availability,common engine problems facedduring fishing trips, trouble-shooting practices, what engine-repair workshops could do, Aleading engine repair workshop,Jalal Mechanical Workshop,provided the facilities.

A bilingual video (Bengali andEnglish) is being prepared. It willbe disseminated through the MarineFisheries Office, Department ofFisheries, as well as throughharbour management organisationsand NGOs.

Dr Ahmed told the fishers about asimple method of purifying waterusing sunlight and plastic (PET)bottles. He said that watercontamination was what causeddiarrhea. (When fishers ran out ofwater during their prolonged stay inthe Sunderbans, they drank fromrivers or ponds.) But what thefishers could do was to fill up thePET bottles with water from a cleansource, then place the bottles on theroof of the fishing vessel insunlight. Exposure to sunlight for4 to 6 hours in a sunny dayneutralizes many of the harmfulbacteria present in the water andmakes it safer, said Dr Ahmed.

He also gave them advice onwarding off the HIV infection,avoiding the use of tobaccoproducts, vaccination of mother andchild and the use of local foodproducts – leaves and vegetables –to meet their dietary requirements.The fishers discussed their health


National Workshop onMonitoring, Control andSurveillance (MCS), 22-23March 2009, Malé, Maldives

MCS in Maldivian waters presents arange of unique problems includingIUU fishing; licensing; conservationof vulnerable species; and optimumrealization of available resources.This national workshop is toformulate a roadmap to ensureresponsible management offisheries resources in Maldives. Theworkshop will be in held incoordination with the Ministry ofFisheries and Agriculture,Government of Maldives.

the awareness campaign.

Fourth InternationalConference on FishingIndustry Safetyand Health(IFISH-4)

The BOBP-IGO iscooperating with theFAO, NIOSH, the Institute forSustainable Development, theUniversity of Iceland and TheIcelandic Maritime Administration,Iceland, in organizing the FourthInternational Fishing IndustrySafety and Health Conference(IFISH-4) in Reykjavik, Icelandfrom 11 to 14 May 2009. Withfunds made available by the FAO,the BOBP-IGO is sponsoring14 participants from developingcountries. The Conference aims atbuilding an international coalition,and at promoting action to preventinjury and improve health in thecommercial fishing industry. Fordetails see the IFISH-4 website(http://www.ifishconference.org/index.htm).

Regional Consultation onSea Safety, June 2009,Chennai, India

Fishing always entailsrisks, and there is nowa consensus on theneed for obligatorysafety training. TheFAO is implementing the SIDAfunded global project on ‘Safety atSea for Small-scale Fisheries inDeveloping Countries’ from 2007.

The Project advocates a holisticapproach to fisheries managementwith safety at sea as an integral partof the management framework. ThisRegional Consultation will reviewthe accomplishments under theProject in South Asia; discuss theSafety Guidelines for FishingVessels under 24 meters in length;and plan future activities on safety-at-sea initiatives.

Fifth Meeting of theGoverning Council of theBOBP-IGO, June 2009,Chennai, India

The GoverningCouncil is the highestdecision making bodyin the BOBP-IGO.The most senior representatives ofmember-governments Bangladesh,India, Maldives and Sri Lanka willtake part. The Governing Councilwill review the activitiesimplemented during the periodApril 2008- March 2009 and willfinalize the plan for April 2009-March 2010.

Second Regional TrainingCourse on the Code ofConduct for ResponsibleFisheries, June 2009,Chennai/Mumbai, India

This course will be held inassociation with the CentralInstitute of Fisheries Education,Mumbai. Sixteen delegates fromBangladesh, India, Maldives andSri Lanka will take part. The courseis meant to educate junior andmiddle-level fisheries officials onthe principles and practices ofCCRF through lectures, communityinteraction, group discussion andpersonal assignments.

Fourth Meeting of theTechnical AdvisoryCommittee (TAC), 22-23April 2009, Dhaka,Bangladesh

This meting will discuss activitiescarried out by the BOBP-IGOduring the period April 2008-March 2009. The TAC will alsohelp the Secretariat to prepare anactivity matrix for the period April2009 March 2010 for approval bythe Governing Council of theBOBP-IGO slated to meet later in2009.

Awareness campaign onSafety at Sea, Cox’s Bazaar,Bangladesh

Awareness campaigns on safety atsea for small-scale fishers will beorganized during April 2009 in twosites of Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh.These pilot sites have been selectedunder the South Asia component ofthe FAO Global Project on Safety atSea. The awareness campaigns will

include stakeholder meetings anddemonstration of safety gear,personal hygiene, etc. Villagetheatre groups will also be used for

Upcoming Programmes


The BOBP-IGO has brought out avariety of awareness promotionmaterials on safety at sea(illustrations on this and the facingpage.)

Precautionary messages

Ten colour handout sheets (inEnglish, Tamil, Telugu and Bangla)on preventing, mitigating orconfronting disaster at sea havebeen prepared and distributed tofishers in India and Bangladesh.

“Safety first” tells fishers aboutwhat they should do and whatprecautions they should take beforestarting on their fishing trip. Liketelling their family members wherethey will be fishing and who will begoing out with them.

“Standard marine distress signals”instruct fishers on how they shouldtell the world that they are introuble. They can send up a“parachute rocket” – a clothballoon that can light up at the tailand create a red flare noticeablefrom afar. They can create anorange smoke flare. They cancreate an on-off flare with a hand-held device, or a yellow-colouredflare in the water through anotherdevice. They can keep putting atorch on and off.

They can create a red streamer inthe water, for aircraft to spot. Theycan send out sound signals throughintermittent blasts of a horn. An armsignal – both arms outstretched –can convey a ‘Help’ message torescuers who are near.

“Cyclone warning signals”: Thereare 11 cyclone warning messagesvarying in kind and degree – aboutthe likelihood of squally weather, astorm forming, a moderate storm,a severe storm, failure ofcommunications with themeteorological centre, etc. Harbourauthorities flash these messages onflagposts raised high to help fishers

Safe ty a t Sea

Awareness Materials

Laminated placards for awareness on Safety at Sea.

Awareness Materials


setting out to sea, or fishers who areclose to the harbour.

“Lights and signals”. A power-driven fishing vessel uses these toinform others about its activity –not engaged in fishing, engaged intrawling, etc.

“Man overboard”: What stepsshould a person on a boat take whensomeone falls overboard? Thesesimple sketches provide guidance.

“Radio distress calling”: What codewords should you use to conveydistress quickly and effectively to aradio station? ‘Mayday’ conveysdanger. Utter the word ‘Mayday’ afew times. ‘Pan pan’ means youneed urgent help. The radio usershould follow up by conveying hisvessel’s position, the kind ofassistance needed, etc.

Engine maintenance

Three handout sheets have beenprepared for engine mechanics.They are “diesel engine checklist,”“outboard motor checklist” and“Outboard motor: periodicinspection and service”.

Poster calendar

A poster calendar or a single-sheetwall calendar repeats the themesand months of BOBP-IGO’s 2008calendar on safety at sea. It hasbeen given to officials and fisherassociations. Its 12 illustratedmessages are: Safety begins athome. Plan your fishing trip – italways pays. Fist-aid kit – neverforget to carry. Make the deck asafer place for work. Navigationequipment and spares – keys tosafety. Signals will help to locateyou at sea. Use protective gearwhile handling equipment andharmful aquatic organisms.Conserve fresh water, When indistress, you are safe in a lifebuoy.Fishing in pleasant waters – usecondoms. Fishing boats should bebuilt as per specifications and safetyrequirements. “Together we shallmake fishing safer”. (Fishers,boatbuilders, boat owners, theauthorities).

Safety at sea T-shirts

Three thousand simple but elegantcotton T-shirts emblazoned with asafety-at-sea logo (see above) havebeen manufactured. They are beingdistributed to officials and fishersof Bangladesh, India, Maldivesand Sri Lanka.


Bay of Bengal News is a quarterly publication of the Bay of BengalProgramme Inter-Governmental Organisat ion(BOBP-IGO). TheBOBP-IGO is a regional fisheries body, which presently covers fourcountries around the Bay of Bengal – Bangladesh, India, Maldives andSri Lanka. The BOBP-IGO plays a catalytic and consultative role indeveloping coastal fisheries management in the Bay of Bengal to helpimprove the conditions of small-scale fisherfolk in the member-countries.

Edited and published by Y S Yadava for the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation, 91 St. Mary’s Road, Abhiramapuram, Chennai 600 018, India.Tel: 91-44-24936294, 24936188; Fax: 91-44-24936102; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.bobpigo.orgLayout: S Jayaraj. Printed at Nagaraj & Co.Pvt. Ltd., Chennai - 600 041, India. Tel: 91-44-66149291, 66149292

An 18-minute video film has been prepared on “Maintaining Long tailEngines”. Meant to be a step-by-step guide for fishers of the East Coastof India, it contains do’s and don’ts on engine care and maintenance toensure safety at sea. The film has been translated into Tamil and Telugu,and may be translated into other languages as well.

The film describes the various parts of the engine and the propulsionunit and their functions. It contains a checklist, of various checks theyshould perform – about necessary spares, oil levels, fittings in goodcondition, fuel systems, etc. There’s a list of do’s and don’ts.

The film was received very well by fishers and engine mechanicsin India.

Promot ing Safe ty a t Sea

Video film on engine careVideo film on engine care

integrating safety at sea with fisheries management · integrating safety at sea with fisheries...

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