Fisherman launches India’s first and only radio station for fishermen

ANI |
Update: 03 November 2020 07:26 STI

Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 3 (ANI): A fisherman in Pamban Town, Ramanathapuram District, launched ‘Kadal Osai FM 90.4’, India’s first and only radio station for fishermen.
It offers listeners infotainment – from information about the sea and COVID-19 to folk songs sung by fishermen / women and songs from movies.
Armstrong Fernando, a fisherman from Pamban, listened to the radio since he was a child. Fernando studied up to the 8th standard, he grew up in the industry and traveled to various places to listen to community radio for farmers. He later planned to start a radio station for his fishing community.
“Almost 80% of the population of Pamban is engaged in fishing. It was launched to help them. Our transmission range is now 5-10 kilometers. The government should increase the range and pave the way for its transmission on the Pamban Island, “said Armstrong Fernando, director and founder of ‘Kasal Osai FM 90.4‘.
“Due to government regulations regarding the proximity of the Indian and Sri Lankan islands to the international border, island fishermen are only allowed to stay at sea for 24 hours. The fish they could catch during this period was sold at any price on land. Sometimes information is collected and transmitted to find out where there are more fish, as well as how they move during high speed waves or storms, ”he added.

This radio becomes an integral part of the daily life of fishermen. Kadal Osai FM 90.4 has a significant impact on Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu as it conveys maritime safety awareness to the latest information on social distancing, creating more alternative livelihoods.
Fishermen residing on Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu, located between Peninsular India and Sri Lanka, call it their radio station.
Apart from the Gayatri Station Manager, the other 12 station staff are part-time fishermen or family members.
Students, housewives and fishermen learn about daily town events as this channel benefits the local community.
It also serves as a direct link between government and community to quickly resolve people’s issues, from receiving government incentives to purchasing tokens for fishing. (ANI)