Shaji knows how to navigate his craft through tides and turbulence, when to harvest a bumper catch following lunar calendar and the molt cycle of lobsters. What he does not know are alphabets, one main reason he stays off Sagara, the ambitious android application developed by the National Informatics Centre for the Fisheries Department to keep track of fishermen. Even after six months into its launch and repeated instructions from the department, a large number of vessels and fishermen in the State are yet to start using the app. Forget English, I can’t even manage Malayalam using phone keys. And if I attempt it before venturing out into the sea every night I will be wasting a lot of time, says Shaji, a school dropout. Main challenge Though nearly 1,000 vessels from Kollam registered their mobile numbers with the department, only 205 have generated OTPs. One main challenge is that many of the fishermen use base models, not smartphones. And some others who have android phones are not very keen on using the app even if we help them with downloading the app or generating the OTP, says C. T. Suresh Kumar, Deputy Director of Fisheries. He adds that as of now the department can access the live details of only 205 crafts and it is necessary for all to stay connected in the post-Ockhi scenario. We will be soon distributing 40,000 life jackets and the Ockhi review committee has approved the issuing of satellite phones and NAVIC devices. But being part of Sagara is the first step and only those vessels which record their entry and exit using the app will be part of the official system, he says. To make the app popular among fishermen, the department has appointed instructors, mainly educated youngsters from the community. They have been meeting and introducing their folks to the app, but many elderly fishermen refuse to cooperate. Among the 2,000 plus vessels in the district only 205 are currently using it, he says. Each boat using the app is required to enter the route and list of persons on board so that they will receive alerts in case of extreme events. Complicated app It’s not easy for fishermen to key in details and many boats take in temporary crew members. So the details you feed change every day and the majority of them hardly knows how to send an SMS or chat online. I think they find the app far too complicated and getting a smartphone will not end the issue. So instead of forcing them it will be better if they can switch to a simpler method like using their thumb impression, says Peter Mathias, president, All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association.