The State Department of Fisheries is working on a proposal for the identification of a potential drone route for the swift and efficient movement of fresh fish from collection points, including fish landing centres and fish farms, to aggregator points in Puducherry.
The drone-based transportation solution is aimed at the modernisation of the fisheries sector and to enhance last-mile connectivity.
Official sources said the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) had written to the State Fisheries Department to identify one potential drone route for the transportation of fresh fish, with strict compliance with the rules and regulations of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
According to Secretary to Fisheries D. Manikandan: “The NFDB had already demonstrated the use of drone technology for the live transport of fresh fish. As part of this project, the NFDB successfully developed a heavy payload drone, capable of carrying 70 kg of fresh fish over a distance of 7 km at Barrackpore in West Bengal recently.”
NFDB has also constituted a drone SOP committee to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to be followed for drone operations, including transporting fresh fish from one location to another, dispensing fish feed in cages within reservoirs and the sea, managing fish farms, and conducting rescue operations during disasters.
