Kochi Corporation proposes buyback of old fishing gear to address safety threats to ro-ro services
The Kochi Corporation is set to introduce a buyback scheme for old fishing nets and related equipment as a potential solution to the recurring menace
The Kochi Corporation is set to introduce a buyback scheme for old fishing nets and related equipment as a potential solution to the recurring menace of abandoned fishing gear disrupting the operation of its roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) vessels and even endangering lives, following incidents of ferries drifting towards the open sea. The latest such incident occurred on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) evening when one of the two propellers of a ro-ro ferry stalled after getting entangled in a large chunk of discarded ropes while en route from Vypeen to Fort Kochi. A fisheries patrol boat and the marine enforcement team pursued the drifting vessel and towed it back to shore.
“We are compelled to introduce such a scheme in the hope that it will act as a deterrent against the careless dumping of fishing gear and ropes. This is a grave issue and could prove fatal if left unchecked. There is also the unhealthy practice of scrap traders dumping unwanted materials purchased from ships on auctions into the water,” said Mayor V.K. Minimol. The ro-ro vessel involved in the accident has yet to resume service. Reportedly, three buckets of ropes were recovered from its propeller. “There was already a strong undercurrent due to low tide, and the disruption of one of the two propellers left the vessel with no thrust, causing it to drift.
We have repeatedly raised the matter with the Fisheries department and the State government,” said sources with the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), which operates ro-ro services. N.M. Satheeshan, district general secretary of the Ernakulam Matsya Thozhilali Sangam, said fishing workers were unlikely to dump nets or other gear into the water as they could either be reused or sold to scrap dealers. Whether scrap dealers are responsible for such illegal dumping remains to be verified, he added. The Vypeen-Fort Kochi Passengers Association accused boat repair yards in Vypeen, Fort Kochi, and Mattancherry of dumping rope pieces into the water.
Local bodies must intervene immediately to end the practice, said association president Francis Chammany. Meanwhile, Ms. Minimol directed the KSINC to completely suspend ro-ro services during periods of strong undercurrents, even in the face of public agitation. She stressed that the Corporation cannot take risks with people’s lives, as there is a possibility of vessels drifting into the open sea.
The BriefWire