Constraints affecting the adoption of information and communication tools among purse-seine operators of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra

Introduction

The information and communication technology (ICTs) have ushered in an era of knowledge explosion in all spheres of human development and has further accelerated growth and development in all sectors. Fisheries is one of the fastest growing subsectors of agriculture, considered as sunrise sector and holds the hope and promise for meeting out the food and nutritional security of a vast majority of the world's population. Fisheries are very important to the economy and well-being of coastal communities, providing food security, job opportunities, income and livelihoods of coastal communities. In India, the fisheries sector has undergone considerable technological transformation through mechanization of fishing vessels and the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in fishing operations. ICT tools such as Global Positioning System (GPS), echo sounders, mobile phones, wireless sets and satellite-based advisory services have improved navigation, fish detection, communication, safety and decision-making, thereby contributing to fishing efficiency and reduction of operational risks (Lakra et [4,7,9] . The world's most vulnerable profession is fishing at the sea. The majority of tragedies in the fishing sector were because of mistakes committed or because of human error (Patil et al. 2017) [6] . Purse seine fishing is a highly efficient and technology intensive fishing methods used to catch pelagic fish species. The operation involves encircling large shoals of fish using extensive nets, often in offshore waters, which exposes fishermen to greater risks such as sudden weather changes, equipment failure, and vessel collisions. ICT tools such as GPS, sonar, and communication devices play an important role in fish detection, navigation, crew coordination, and safety during operations. These technologies also support compliance with fisheries regulations and promote sustainable fisheries management in increasingly challenging marine environments (Tilley et al. 2021) [9] . However, the adoption of ICT technologies remains uneven among fishing communities due to differences in awareness, technical skills, income, infrastructure and accessibility (Kotta et al. 2020; Lakra et al. 2021) [3,4] . The adoption of ICT tools among fishermen, especially in mechanized and motorized sectors, has been steadily increasing. Mobile phones and GPS devices are the most www.extensionjournal.com commonly used technologies, while wireless sets and distress alert systems are gradually gaining importance (Sabu and Shaijumon, 2017) [7] . ICT tools improve communication, provide weather and PFZ advisories, enhance safety, and help increase catch efficiency and fishermen's income. However, adoption levels vary based on education, income, infrastructure, and awareness (Kotta et al. 2020) [3] . Therefore, the study was intended to assess the constraints in adoption of Information and Communication tools among purse-seine operators in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra.

Materials and Methods

The study was carried out in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, specifically focusing on Ratnagiri district, based on a preliminary investigation of marine fishing activities and the prevalence of purse seine operations. The study focused on selected fishing villages and landing centres within Ratnagiri district where purse seine operations are prominent. The data were collected from 120 randomly selected purse-seine operators of three landing centres including Jaigad, Sakhri Nate and Mirkarwada. A thorough review of literature and discussions with an expert group were done in order to list out various constraints faced by purse seine operators in adoption of information and communication tools. A total of 25 constraints were then categorized under five heads viz. technical, economic, operational, human and behavioural and information and communication constraints. 2024) [10,5] . The weighted average was calculated as given below: [10] reported that lack of training is one of the constraints in usage of ICT tools among the trawler operators. Guguloth et al. (2018) [2] studied the constraints in use of ICT tools in marine capture fisheries reported that 91.67% has major constraints regarding lack of knowledge. [10] in their study reported that high price of device was the major constraints faced by the trawler operators. Guguloth et al. (2018) [2] reported most of the respondents felt the constraints on financial support for the purchase of ICT tools (97.50%).

Similarly, Sharma and Sethulakshmi (2019) [7] reported that fishers of Kerala were also facing financial constraint while getting ICT devices.

Operational constraints

The result in Table 4 reveals that under operational constraints, the risk of damage to ICT tools due to water and salt exposure was ranked first, with a weighted average score of 28.80, followed by difficulty in using ICT tools during rough sea conditions (27.47) whereas ICT tools interfering with fishing operations was ranked last, with a weighted average score of 20.13. Vankar et.al. (2024) [10] also revealed that the damage due to humid air was one of the major constraints faced by the trawler operators. [2] reported that the considerable proportion of the respondents felt the constraints like lack of training support on properly using ICT gadgets. Sharma and Sethulakshmi (2019) [7] reported that lack of training/awareness programme was the major reason for low or no use of ICT tools among the fishers of Kerala. [2] stated that language is the problem in understanding the application of ICT gadgets is the most severe constraints.

References

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