Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) chairman AK Chanda has said fishing vessels in the state will soon be equipped with the Automatic Identification System (AIS) that will help the port keep track of them. The move is expected to enhance coastal security. So far the AIS was installed only in bigger ships, but at a meeting held by the Centre after the terror attacks in Mumbai, the government made it mandatory for all vessels, big and small, to have the system. “AIS is very expensive and sophisticated and it is not possible for smaller boats and fishing trawlers to install these. Hence, the ISRO has been asked to develop a low-cost model,” said Chanda. Port authorities hope that the system will make it easier for them to communicate with boats at sea and track their movement. “The attacks in Mumbai have shown that militants prefer trawlers to big ships; hence, it is important to install security devices in such vessels,” he said.
