Fishermen can soon use technology to their advantage as GEMINI(Gagan Enabled Mariners Instrument for Navigation and Information) was launched in Mumbai by the Hyderabad based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services(INCOIS) along with the Airports Authority of India. The device will facilitate safer and easier expeditions for the fishermen.

The fishermen will have to download the Gagan app on their mobile phones and it will be connected to GEMINI via Bluetooth. Its inbuilt rechargeable battery lasts for 3-4 days and it covers the entire Indian Ocean for transmission to fishermen at sea.

Revolutionary Device

GEMINI provides information to fishermen on potential fishing zones and gives alerts on high waves and strong winds. It gives warning about cyclones and tsunamis as well as provides information on search and rescue.  Fishermen can also know the maximum current speed, depth of the sea, distance and direction with the help of the device. In case of any emergency, fishermen can bank on GEMINI as it suggests the nearest land points.

Technology

GEMINI uses surface temperature and water’s chlorophyll content to locate fish schools. It detects weather conditions and sends the information to the app. Fishermen can use their phones to see the forecast of fishing zones which is sent three days in advance. They can also see the weather alerts that are sent in an hour.

The Ockhi cyclone of 2017 brought to fore the limitations of the marine information systems as fishermen in deep-sea couldn’t be reached and therefore, they weren’t warned about the cyclone. The low cost, soapbox sized smart receiver device GEMINI will ensure safe expeditions for our fisherfolk.