Paradip, July 22: The Coast Guard has undertaken an exercise to sensitise fishermen and seaside settlers living along the Paradip coast to bolster maritime security and thwart infiltration by foreigners through the sea route.

“The fishermen hold the key to coastal security as they always have the firsthand information about the suspicious movement of crafts, vessels and trawlers. It is their duty to pass on the information to coastal security agencies and the coast guard,” said commandant, Coast Guard, Paradip, S. K. Nath

He said the Coast Guard had launched a drive to create awareness among the fishermen as to how important their role in coastal security was.

The fishermen who live along the Paradip coast have played a proactive role in intercepting intruding foreign vessels in the past.

The fishermen will be given disaster alert transmitters provided free of cost to send messages to the authorities should they see any suspicious movement of vessels.

Given the fact that the coastal districts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore are vulnerable to sea-route infiltration, it mandatory for vessels to have licences and permits.

Local fishermen also carry identity cards issued by the marine fisheries department.

A Coast Guard official said that community interaction of this nature would help bring about better co-ordination between fishermen, the Coast Guard and the state marine police.