Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Fishermen’s support sought for coastal security

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ability of fishermen to distinguish between friend and foe should be harnessed to protect the coast and thwart any threat through the sea, Director General of Police (DGP) Jacob Punnoose has said.

He was presenting a paper on ‘Coastal security through fishermen participation’ at a national seminar on Fisheries organised in connection with the valedictory of the silver jubilee of Matsyafed at the Kanakakunnu Palace here on Tuesday.

The terror attacks in Mumbai and the fact that the terrorists arrived by the sea route had brought into focus the need to strengthen coastal security, said Mr. Punnoose. Coastal security was fundamental to the security of the nation, and it was a complex task considering the vast coastal area in the country.

In Kerala, about two lakh sq. km. of coast has to be protected. This includes 1,200 sq. km. of sea in the territorial waters.

The DGP said there was “no bit” of policing in this area. The conventional policy would not be possible, as it was mainly land-based. The Navy and the Coast Guard can operate with ease only in the high seas due to berthing problems and the size of the fleet.

The DGP noted that smugglers were taking advantage of the porous coast of Kerala and it was easy to reach Thiruvananthapuram and the marine line from the international waters. However, the task of protecting the coast cannot be performed by a single agency, he said.

Mr. Punnoose said the whole-hearted support of fishermen was needed to ensure coastal security. He said Coastal Vigilance Committees would go a long way in ensuring security. The fishermen will be trained and how to report incidents to the police.

Mr. Punnoose said eight coastal police stations would be set up from Vizhinjam to Kasaragod.

The stations will be given 25 boats for patrolling in the seas. With the situation in Sri Lanka worsening, the security agencies patrolling the coast have been put on high alert.

“Any laxity on our part will be exploited by the divisive forces,” the DGP said. Fishermen who put to sea should ensure that the boats are registered and they follow the rules.

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