Fishermen of Srikakulam district can now rely on a mobile application to net a good catch as the district administration, Agribusiness Center of Excellence (ACE), entered into an MoU with the Dr MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) on Friday.
The app would be made available for fisherfolk in the district, and will provide information about weather conditions, fish activity below the sea’s surface, wave activity, and dangerous situations along the 193-km coastline, said district agricultural advisory council chairman Ch. Netaji. The app will also show the potential fishing zone.
The Fisher Friend mobile app has been developed by the MSSRF and Qualcomm, a company·specializing in wireless technology and research, through collaborations with the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (Incois). Under the MoU, 20 master trainers will be selected from coastal landing point villages in the district and sent for training to the Fish for All Research Centre at Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu. They would be given capacity building on identifying fishery zones.