KOCHI: A joint project of the Union Ministry of Fisheries and CMFRI for the use of 'drones' to oversee seed sowing in pokkali rice farming fields and cage fish farming in the sea is 'taking off'. The drones will undertake all the tasks such as surveillance of marine mammals, disaster management, underwater imaging and water body mapping. This will make it easier to monitor the health of fish cultivated in cages, feed distribution, and water quality checks by installing sensors. Live fish can be made available to customers from farms. Algae that pose a challenge to cage farming can also be detected before they multiply. The quality of water in the Vembanad lake can also be assessed through this.

Flying saviour

* By being able to monitor marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, their safety can be ensured.

* Life jackets can be delivered to rescue workers in case of an emergency.

* Fishing can be made easier by quickly identifying the places where surface fish arrive in large numbers

Workshop for farmers

Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurien will inaugurate the workshop for fishermen and fish farmers on the drone project on November 8 at CMFRI.