Port Blair, Jan. 29: At the instance of Department of Fisheries, A&N administration, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is deploying Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) at A&N Islands marine waters at off the coast of ten places namely East of Diglipur, Mayabunder, Rangat, Chidiyatapu, Hut Bay (Little Andaman), Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Campbell Bay (Great Nicobar), South of Neil Island and North of South Sentinel Island. For this purpose, NIOT’s Oceanographic Research Vessel (ORV) Sagar Manjusha has reached Port Blair with FADs.

The first FAD is deployed in the East of Chidiyatapu at about 5.5 nautical miles from the coast at 10.00 Hrs on Monday, 30^th  January 2012. The FADs indents to provide congregation of fishes by establishing fishery habitats around them within three to six months from installation. This will help the fishers to have a better harvest with less fuel consumption by reducing the time spend for searching fish shoals. This is also being carried out as a part of Tuna Mission of Department of Fisheries. The deployment of first FAD is witnessed by Shri. A. S. Dagar, Secretary, Fisheries, A&N administration, Shri. V. Krishnamurthy, Director, Fisheries and officials of Department of Fisheries along with representatives of fishers. The deployment from the ship is coordinated by Dr. S. Rajaguru, Scientist, NIOT, Chennai. The local logistics and program is coordinated by Dr. N. V. Vinithkumar, Officer-In-Charge and scientists of Andaman and Nicobar Centre for Ocean Science and Technology (ANCOST), Port Blair, a field unit of NIOT. The deployment of other FADs in the above mentioned places will be done within 7th of February 2012. Further information on deployment of FADs in respective places may be collected from the Department of Fisheries.