Fisheries minister K. Atchannaidu said on Thursday that the state government was closely monitoring Andhra Pradesh fishing boats at sea amid adverse weather conditions over the Bay of Bengal.
He said 51 mechanised fishing boats from Andhra Pradesh had been allowed to take shelter at Gopalpur Port in Odisha. Of these, one boat with an engine failure was towed to the port and safely anchored. Another 16 boats had reached the Arayapalli Fish Landing Centre safely, he said.
The fisheries department was coordinating with its Odisha counterpart, the district administration and port authorities to ensure safe shelter for the boats.
Atchannaidu said the Odisha fisheries department had informed the collector and port authorities and facilitated the entry of the AP boats into Gopalpur Port.
Two boats and their crew, whose safety had been confirmed by the fisheries commissioner and officials, were reported safe at Gopalpur. The families were contacted and informed of their safety.
Atchannaidu directed officials in coastal districts to maintain constant contact with boat owners and obtain regular updates on the condition and location of every boat. They were asked to coordinate with the concerned authorities and arrange assistance wherever required.
He also asked officials to keep the families of fishermen informed about their welfare and provide timely updates.
Atchannaidu directed officials to allow the boats to return to their respective fishing harbours or fish landing centres only after sea conditions improved. Coastal district fisheries officials were asked to continue monitoring the situation until all fishermen returned safely to their respective areas.
The minister said the safety of fishermen was the government’s top priority and directed coastal district officials to remain alert and take immediate action based on field-level information.
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