A Reliable Fishing Vessel

Place: Vizag Fishing Harbour, India Photo Credit: Varun Kumar Soni

Authors- SUKANT KUMAR

ASHWINI KUMAR
VARUN KUMAR SONI
JHA GAURAV SAROJANAND

Contact details:-
Email: srsukant@gmail.com
Mobile no. +918331807362

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The paper "A Reliable Fishing Vessel" was prepared during October-December, 2013 with
field activities in Visakhapatnam, India. The Authors acknowledge important input from
Vizag Offices of Fishing Harbour Authority , Fishing Survey of India(FSI), Mercantile Marine
Department(MMD) and Indian Coast Guard(ICG).
Special thanks to Dr. S C Mishra, Director , Indian Maritime University (IMU) ,
Visakhapatnam, Mr. U S Ramesh, Expert in Maritime Industry and Dr. B V Rao, Academic
Co-ordinator, IMUV for the continuing support and inspiration.
Many warm thanks to Mrs. Madhu Joshi, Scientist 'C' and chemistry Professor in IMUV for
giving valuable help.
We are very grateful for the constant support from administration of Indian Maritime
University, Visakhapatnam.
Very big thanks to all the fishermen and workers at fishing harbour in Visakhapatnam for
depicting ground level reality.
At last but not the least, we are deeply thankful to all the classmates, seniors and juniors for
cheering us.

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 CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................04
2. GLOBAL SCENERIO.....................................................................................04
3. CONDITION OF FISHING VESSEL IN VISAKHAPATNAM...............................04
4. Gallery06
5. ACCIDENTS-TYPES & CAUSES......................................................................08
6. STEPS TOWARDS A RELIABLE FISHING VESSEL............................................11
7. ROLE OF GOVERNMENT..............................................................................15
8. ENTREPRENEURSHIP: AN OPPORTUNITY....................................................17
9. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................17
APPENDIX- 1. Abbreviations
APPENDIX- 2.References

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INTRODUCTION:-
Reality is our reliability standard and reality depends on us, in other words how we make
our reality better is all up to us. So we have made a paper on " A Reliable Fishing Vessel"
which depicts the reality of fishing vessel in India and we have tried to find out ways in order
to make a fishing vessel more reliable, compatible and efficient.
Fishing contributes a lot towards economy of a country like India having a long coast line
'approx.-7500 km'. India has 3rd position in global fisheries and its contribution to overall
GDP is 1.07 and contribution to agricultural GDP is 5.30 percent . Annual export is passing
7,200 Crore and employment in sector is 14 million. These facts indicate the importance of
fishing in Indian economy, that is why fishing vessel is a matter of concern. After visiting a
fishing harbour in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) , we noticed that condition of fishing vessels are
not up to the mark after observing the present scenario there and talking with the
government officials. So, it needs improvement which could guarantee the safety of life at
sea and make fishing vessels more reliable and efficient.
GLOBAL SCENERIO:-
Fishing is an occupation which is one of the most dangerous because it faces challenges
from a mysterious ocean .The people affected by the accidents at sea are often among the
poorest in the society .FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
estimates that roughly 30 million fishermen are working aboard 4 million fishing vessels
operating in capture fisheries, 1.3 million decked vessels and 2.7 million undecked vessels.
About 98% of these vessels are under 24 m in length. The no. of global fatalities was
estimated by the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2000a) in 1999 to be 24,000 deaths
worldwide per year.
CONDITION OF FISHING VESSEL IN VISAKHAPATNAM:-
After visiting a fishing harbour in Visakhapatnam , India, we noticed that condition of fishing
vessels are not up to the mark after observing the present scenario there and talking with
the government officials. So it needs improvement which could guarantee the safety of life
at sea and makes fishing vessel more reliable and efficient.
The key issues observed are-
i. Corrosion is a major problem in different parts of fishing vessel e.g., in rope roller ,
engine part, fittings etc. This is a symbol of unreliability, i.e., any part can fail during
voyage of fishing vessel and can cause accidents which leads to loss of life and
property.
ii. Due to lack of knowledge about new technological methods, fishermen are using
traditional methods to tackle with corrosion in fishing vessel. For ex.- beating chain
to remove rust, applying normal paint, using surf water for washing, using normal

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 electrical equipment etc.

iii. Most of the fishermen and workers are illiterate, unskilled and untrained. They are
unaware of modern techniques to cope with the challenges of sea. They are still
using traditional means.
iv. Maintenance of boat is lacking. Grease and oil on different parts of boat are not
applied regularly. Also washing boat properly after each trip is not done properly.
v. There is very holistic approach towards fishermen's safety and their vessel from
government bodies. Government just gives a little compensation if any tragedy
happens.
vi. The design, quality and equipments of fishing vessel are below average. The proper
safety equipments were also missing on the boat.
vii. There is lack of rules and regulation regarding fishing for small scale fishery.
viii. Safety communication devices such as GPS and VHF radio are not used by fishermen
as they can not afford it to buy. So search and rescue operation becomes difficult if
any accident happens, leading a greater fatality.
ix. Simple repair work or servicing is usually done by untrained and unskilled people.
x. Damaged fishing vessels are not taken out of water of fishing harbour though it is
dangerous for the smooth passage of fishing vessels.

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 GALLERY

Fig.1. Corroded hull of fishing vessel Fig.2. A damaged ship in harbour water

Fig.3. Corroded rope roller Fig.4. A part of corrosive fishing vessel

Fig.4. Corroded rudder connector Fig.5 Corrosion in engine part

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Fig.6. A fisherman beating corroded chain Fig.7.A fisherman applying grease on wires

Fig.8. Interaction with a fisherman

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ACCIDENTS-TYPES & CAUSES:-
According to Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), United Kingdom, Marine
guidance note, MGN 289 (M+F),
"Accident means any occurrence on board a ship or involving a ship whereby
(a) There is loss of life or major injury to any person on board, or any person is lost or
Falls overboard from, the ship or one of its ship's boats;
(b) A ship
(i) causes any loss of life, major injury or material damage;(ii) is lost or presumed to be
lost;(iii) is abandoned;(iv) is materially damaged by fire, explosion, weather or other
cause;(v) grounds;(vi) is in collision;(vii) is disabled; or(viii) causes significant harm to the
environment.
(c) Any of the following occur
(i) A collapse or bursting of any pressure vessel, pipeline or valve; (ii) a collapse or failure of
any lifting equipment, access equipment, hatch-cover, staging or boatswains chair or any
associated load-bearing parts; (iii) a collapse of cargo, unintended movement of cargo or
ballast sufficient to cause a list, or loss of cargo overboard; (iv) a snagging of fishing gear
which results in the vessel heeling to a dangerous angle; (v) a contact by a person with loose
asbestos fibre except when full protective clothing is worn; or (vi) an escape of any harmful
substance or agent,
if the occurrence, taking into account its circumstances, might have been liable to cause
serious injury or to cause damage to the health of any person."
The above definition is applicable to all maritime vessels, owners, masters, officers, captains
and crews.
Types of Accidents:
Collision
Grounding
Drifting
Fire
Explosion
Flooding
Capsize
Loss of Hull Integrity
Man overboard

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 Missing Vessel
Piracy
Cause of Accidents:
Human error
Vessel ran out of fuel
Vessel overloaded
Entanglement of fishing gears
Other operational error
Rudder failure
Engine failure
Fishing gear/rope in propeller
Structural failure
Electrical failure
Fuel leakage
Other technical failure
Act of other vessel
Extreme weather
Other external cause

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Tamil Nadu Study:-
In 2009, a study on accidents at sea was conducted in Tamil Nadu, India by the South Indian
Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS), which covers the period 20002007.

From the above graph we conclude that-

The categories of capsize, engine failure, and surf crossing are the three major
causes of accidents, covering a total of 72 percent.
This study can be used as a good background for setting up any kind of safety for
fishermen activity, at the government or village level.
Recent Accident:
At least 6 people killed in Kerala, India in fishing boat due to capsizing and neglecting
safety.

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STEPS TOWARDS A RELIABLE FISHING VESSEL:-
1. Accident Reporting:-

Improvement of safety at sea and safety for fishermen should always start with collecting
information on accidents at sea, the type of accidents and why they occur. This will be
platform for developing the strategies for improving safety for fishermen, so it must be
introduced and set up to provide the government facts and data.

* An accident causation model can be developed using MS Excel sheets having vessel's
information, location of accident, no of fatalities, type of accident and cause of accident.

*If insurance schemes were linked to an reporting system, there would be mutual benifits
and also incentive to report accidents properly.

2. Training and Awareness Raising:-

The most successful impact on improving fishermen safety is from training them and their
families and through awareness-raising campaigns in villages, schools, religious structures,
fishermen organization, NGOs etc.

There is also a need for training boat builders and for introducing the apprenticeship system
for young boat builders.

The identified training needs are-

Anticorrosion boat maintenance training

Engine maintenance

Personal survival and lifesaving training

First Aid

The use of safety equipment

*Training is cost effective, preventive and mitigating measure.

*Safety at sea training should be implemented at all levels, from primary education up to
maritime and fisheries training institutes.

3. Safety Equipments on Vessel:-

Safety equipment is the only thing that can save life when any accident happens in sea.

e.g., life jackets, life rafts, life flares etc.

*Safety equipment is often very expensive and fishermen can not afford to buy it, so low
cost safety equipment should be provided to fishermen by government.

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*Moreover there are many safety equipment available at low cost. The checklist of these
things to bring on board are-

Spare fuel

Engine tools and spare parts

Rope and anchor

sail and/or oars

k2Flash light or mirror

Floatation device

Water and food

Simple First Aid kit

Knife

Bailing device

Multiple Use of Safety Equipment:-

Mobile phones- which could be used for obtaining information on best prices
from various fish landing sites and for emergency calls (when a mobile network is
available).
An emergency sail- which could be used as sun roof/sun shelter, or for collecting rain
water.
An icebox for fish-which could also, depending on the size of the box, serve as a
floating device or as a life raft when the vessel capsize.
Communication Safety Devices:-
It is very important to be able to communicate when situation becomes out of control on
the vessel.
Radio- VHF (very high frequency) radio has coverage up to 30 Nm from the shore
station. It can also be used between fishing boats fishing in same area. It is
commonly used in larger fishing vessels and fairly common in smaller boats. It is
normally expensive, so poor fishermen can not afford to buy VHF radio, so
government should provide it on subsidized rate.
Mobile phone- It can be used close to shore.
GPS- Its price is decreasing and can be afforded by many fishermen. In distress, it
shows the correct position of the fishing vessel which would facilitate the search and
rescue.

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4. Vessel Protection from Corrosion:-
Structure of fishing vessel must be corrosion resistant. It should be regularly monitored to
check any defect so that a proper step could be taken. Monitoring and rectifying defects are
necessary to avoid any failure in fishing vessel. We are listing some scientific ways that
should be followed while construction of fishing vessel. Some methods can also be followed
to maintain the vessel.
A. Painting
Multiple layer of paint should be done to avoid any defect.
Surface preparation using abrasive blasting should be done for a improved
surface, which leads to a improve protection & reduced maintenance.
After surface preparation, painting should not be delayed.
Before recoating, wash off any dried out salt deposits using fresh water or
degrease it.
Any blistered old paint work should be wire brushed before new paint work.
An appropriate primer is necessary to provide good base for adhesion while
painting on new metal, also prolongs life of paint system.
Anti-fouling paint is applied to the hull of the boat to slow down the growth of
organisms that attach to the hull and can affect vessel's performance and
durability .It has additional features as a barrier against corrosion on metal hull.

B. CATHODIC PROTECTION
Cathodic protection is a technique used to control the corrosion of a metal
surface by making it the cathode of an electrochemical cell.
A simple method of protection connects protected metal more easily to a
"sacrificial metal to act as the anode. The sacrificial metal then corrodes instead
of the protected metal.
Cathodic protection can greatly reduce a hull corrosion, maintaining a smoother
hull surface and reduces a fuel consumption and maintenance cost.
Special alkali resistant paints such as coal-tar epoxy paint is required for
catholically protected hulls since oil based paints are damaged by alkali produced
in this method.
C. METAL COATING
Hot dipping-It is dipping the steel to be coated in to a molten bath of the
metal for coating.
e.g: galvanization.
Metal spraying-It is applying fine spray of metal to be protected using spray
gun.
Electroplating-It is depositing wide range of metal and alloys on various
metals.
For example electroplating zinc or Cd on steel.
Metal diffusion-It is diffusing metal into the surface of the component by
heating it with the coating metal into powder form or gaseous form.
Metal cladding-It is applying skin of corrosion resisting metal to a cheaper
less corrosion resistant material.

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5. Special Design Considerations:-
Certain things must be considered while designing the boat.
Anticorrosive Boat Design-
Joints having sharp edges should be given a smooth contour in the preparation for
painting.
The direct connection of the dissimilar metal should be avoided.
Every effort should be made to avoid trapping quantities of sea water or any other
electrolyte on the vessel.
Difference in composition between weld deposited metal and parent material
should not be great enough to promote bimetallic-corrosion.

For FRP boats-

Traditional FRP boats in India have poor design and poor building technique due to lack of
skilled FRP boat builders. So new changes were incorporated in 'IND-30'using following
design considerations-
Nets and fish are stored through hatches on the bottom of the boat, not on top of
the deck. Nets and fish will not be shifted to the side due to a breaking wave.
Large drainage openings assure rapid draining of water from the deck.
A lower position of the engine improves stability. When steering, the capsizing
moment is reduced compared to the long tail engine sitting on the top of the deck.
The possibility of the crew getting hurt by the rotating propeller is reduced.
In the case of capsize, the IND-30 is designed with the buoyancy compartments so
positioned that it is possible to bring the boat upright by the crew,

6. Simple Tips for Fishermen:-

For Structure Safety (Vessel Maintenance):

Wash your boat with mild soap and fresh water after each trip so that different parts
of boat could not be corroded due to contact with sea water developing potential
difference.

To fight corrosion in cooling system of engine, rinse it regularly with fresh water.

Apply wax sealant to protect boat fittings from corrosion twice a year.

Use fishing hook having tinned surface coating.

Use electrical component designed only for marine application to protect the vessel
from stray current corrosion.

Precautions before going out in sea:

Obtain the latest weather forecast before going out at sea, and also when at sea.

Respect the rules of the road at sea.

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 Follow checklist for boat and engines.

Ensure the appropriate safety equipment are on board.

Inform family before going to sea.

Carry an emergency sail.

Ensure a means of communication (cell phone, VHF).

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT:-
Government plays a vital role in the development of any industry of a country. Fishing
industry is no exception. It also needs support from government to groom and flourish. As
fishing contributes a lot in the economy of a country having a significant cost line, every
government must nurture this industry.
In India, though government is running several schemes for poors but it is not concerned
much with the safety of poor fishermen. Moreover, though government has well
established structure in fishing sector, it is lacking ground level time bound implication of
laws and rules. The following points will clarify the role of Indian government in the fishing
sector.
MMD under ministry of shipping is responsible for registration of fishing vessels of all
categories. But it is more concerned with registration/inspection work of commercial
vessels. It generally overlooks the registration/inspection requirements of fishing
vessels.
The Indian Coast Guard, established under an Act of the Central Government is
responsible for the surveillance and monitoring of the Indian EEZ and also assists the
Central Government in implementing the provisions of the Maritime Zones of India
Act. But it does not have a clear mandate to monitor and supervise the fishing
vessels operating in the coastal waters.
There is no legislation to regulate fishing by wholly owned Indian fishing vessels in
the EEZ.
Though government bodies manage fishing harbours across the country but it is not
concerned with fishing vessel management. It solely depends on vessels' owners.
It is not providing any cleaning material for cleaning harbour and fishing vessels.
Identity of fishermen are not identified. Only owners are responsible for it.
Fishermen are forced to use traditional methods for safety and management of a
fishing vessel due to lack of help from government part.

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 Fishermen can not afford to buy communication safety devices. Government is not
helping in doing so.
Government is providing subside on diesel. But it is a general scheme.
It does not provide training to drivers and workers so that they could maintain the
fishing vessel. Training and awareness raising programs are generally run by local
NGOs in India.
Government does not even care about the damaged ship which is kept in water of
harbour. These damaged vessels could pose threat to fisherman's safety if fishing
vessel collide with it while regular passage.
Harbour authority should take proper steps to dispose the damaged boats in the
port water.
New Zealand Example
In New Zealand, there is well established fishing management system. Safety, monitoring
and surveillance are the highlights of its fishing structure.
In New Zealand, Government limits the average catch of a vessel in the fleet.
They also limits a vessel average operational intensity per unit time at sea.
They licensed the vessel on the basis of designing of vessel so that catching
technique could be increased.
They also categories the vessel so that fish catching could be on the basis of
region.
Many companies are responsible for construction and safety for fishing
vessels.
They spend more money on safety and management of vessel and storage
system.

Above example of New Zealand is a proved management system and other countries should
be inspired by this.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP: AN OPPORTUNITY
As a general rule, simple repair work is always carried out by the boat owners or the
fishermen themselves. It is often performed by unskilled and untrained people on the
beach. It could be much improved if some guidelines will be there. Any low cost servicing
company will be much better idea.
The above idea can be achieved through entrepreneurship. This can create employment
along with providing servicing to fishing vessels. As from India point of view, there is an
urgent need of servicing company for mitigating problem of corrosive fishing vessels after
observing the condition of fishing vessels at the fishing harbour in Visakhapatnam, India. So,
Entrepreneurship will play a great role of producing jobs as well as making fishing vessels
more reliable.
Regular servicing of fishing Vessel by any servicing company will be able to tackle corrosion
in vessel and maintaining engine as well. As engine failure is a major cause of accident in
fishing vessels, it will reduce the accidents up to large extent. In this way, fishing Vessel will
be more reliable than it is today. Moreover, economy of India will also get benefitted as it
will not suffer property loss due to early collapsing of fishing vessel due to corrosion. Hence,
fishing sector can be run efficiently on the shoulder of a reliable structure. As it is said-
Prevention is better than cure, so we have to take prevention firstly and entrepreneurship
is the best way of taking prevention and generating more jobs too. Example:-
A well maintained car is more reliable than a car which is not serviced properly in a regular
interval. In the same way, we should think about this fishing Vessel too and only then we
can make it more reliable for the sake of poor fishermen and for the country.
CONCLUSION:-
The paper is clearly concerned with safety of fishermen across the globe by analysing a
sample in the form of VIZAG FISHING HARBOUR. It is describing some existing ways along
with some innovative ways to tackle the problem of corrosion and unawareness to ensure
the safety of fishing vessel and fishermen. Finally it concludes with need of servicing
company in fishing industry through entrepreneurship. Thus, ground level reality should be
accepted and steps should be taken towards "A Reliable Fishing Vessel".

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 APPENDIX-1

Abbreviations:-
EEZ- Extra Economic Zone
FAO- Food and Agricultural Organization
FRP- Fibre Reignforced Plastics
GDP- Gross Development Production
GPS- Global Positioning System
ILO- International Labour Organization
MAIB- Marine Accident Investigation Branch
MGN- Marine Guidance Note
MMD- Mercantile Marine Department
NGO- Non Governmental Organizations
SIFFS- South India Federation of Fishermen Societies
VHF- Very High Frequency

APPENDIX-2

References:-
www.safety-for-fishermen.org.
ILO. 2000a. Note on the proceedings.
ILO, 2000b. Safety and health in the fishing industry.
MAIB, United Kingdom, Marine guidance note, MGN 289 (M+F)
Swamy, J. 2009. Risks and dangers in the small-scale fishery of Tamil Nadu, 2000-2007.
Karamana, Trivandrum, India, South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS).

THANK YOU
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NOTE: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO SUKANT KUMAR & CO.

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