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Sankar Radhakrishnan

Thiruvananthapuram , Dec. 27

For many years, fishermen in Kerala have used traditional boats powered by outboard motors (OBMs) that use kerosene as fuel. However, operating and maintaining kerosene-powered OBMs is an expensive process that most often imposes a severe financial burden on fishermen, said a fisheries department official.

Now, Kerala State Cooperative Federation for Fisheries Development (Matsyafed) is working on a project to use diesel-powered OBMs on traditional fishing craft. This is in keeping with the international practice of using OBMs that run on diesel, the official explained.

Compared to OBMs that run on kerosene, the diesel-powered ones are energy efficient, less polluting and offer significant cost savings to fishermen, he said.

Diesel-powered OBMs also enjoy a longer life, are easier to repair and offer overall cost savings of almost 50 per cent compared to motors that use kerosene, the official claimed. Switching to diesel-powered OBMs could lead to better incomes for fishermen, a decision that could impact some 15,000 traditional fishing groups across the State. Over the past two weeks, Matsyafed has been testing a diesel-powered OBM, manufactured in Thailand, on a traditional fishing boat in Kollam. The response has so far been encouraging, though there is some learning involved for the fishermen, the official said. A few adjustments have been made to the boat and some small initial problems have been sorted out, he added.

The trials are likely to continue for several weeks after which Matsyafed will formulate a commercial proposal for the sale of the diesel OBMs. It will offer financial and technical support to fishermen who want to switch to diesel-powered OBMs, he said.

More Stories on : Aquaculture | Shipping | Engineering | Kerala

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