Mangaluru: Following an intelligence report warning of a possible attack by terrorists, Karnataka’s coastal region was put on red alert and fishermen were asked to call the district control room number 100, if they noticed any suspicious vessels at sea.
Dakshina Kannada Fisheries Department Deputy Director Thippeswamy convened a meeting with leaders from the fishermen’s society on Saturday, August 17, and asked all of them to carry their Aadhar card and ID card with them while going fishing.
“As a large number of fishermen from other states also fish off the Mangaluru coast, fishermen societies should provide identity cards for them on a temporary basis,” he added.
He also said that since the tragic ‘Suvarna Thribhuja’ boat incident, installing a GPS and a wireless transponder system in all the boats has been made compulsory. “Meanwhile, a new app is being designed to find out the number of boats at sea and their last fishing location. This will help in finding them during times of emergency,” he said.
“In order to communicate with the fishermen and to address their problems quickly, a new WhatsApp group comprising officials and fishermen has been created. The suggestions made on the group by the fishermen will also be taken into account,” he added.
Leaders of the fishermen community Nithin Kumar, Subhash and Ibrahim were also present.
