In a significant step towards curbing illegal fishing and strengthening maritime security, the Maharashtra State Fisheries Department is set to launch a drone-based monitoring and digital data maintenance system. This initiative, aimed at effectively enforcing the Marine Fishing Law, will be inaugurated on January 9th, 2025, with a control room set up at the office of the Commissioner, Fisheries.

The drone system will work in tandem with the department's patrol boats to monitor the 720 km-long coastline of Maharashtra. Patrolling by boats has faced challenges, as unauthorized fishing boats often evade capture. The drones, with their high speed and ability to cover larger areas, will provide crucial real-time information and evidence on unauthorized fishing activities, making it easier for the authorities to take strict action.

The drones will be used across seven maritime districts of Maharashtra, providing surveillance within the state's maritime boundaries up to 12 nautical miles. The data captured by the drones, including wave solutions and streaming footage, will serve as vital evidence for enforcement under the Fisheries Act 1981. This surveillance system is also expected to bolster national maritime security.

On January 9th, the Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane, along with key officials including Additional Chief Secretary, Fisheries, Venugopal Reddy, and Commissioner, Fisheries, Dr. Atul Patne, will inaugurate the control room. The drone system will be launched from Velankanni Uttan in Thane district and Shirgaon in Palghar district at 9:45 AM.

Public representatives, fisheries cooperatives, unions, and boat owners have been invited to attend the event at Velankanni Church (Uttan, Thane) and Shirgaon (Palghar). The program is organized by the Fisheries Department, under the leadership of Dinesh Patil, Assistant Commissioner of Fisheries, Thane-Palghar.

The system will be operational with a fleet of nine drones strategically deployed across the state's coastal areas:

• Shirgaon (Palghar)
• Uttan (Thane)
• Gorai (Mumbai Suburban)
• Sassoon Dock (Mumbai City)
• Revdanda and Shrivardhan (Raigad)
• Mirkarwada and Sakhrinate (Ratnagiri)
• Devgad (Sindhudurg)