1. Fisher Friend: Helping to Save Lives and
Improve Incomes of Fishermen
Generations of fishermen in India’s coastal regions have practiced and
perfected their craft for years. However, with changing environmental
conditions after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and its devastating impact,
a new generation of fishermen is using wireless technology to earn their
livelihoods in a safer and more profitable manner. The Fisher Friend Mobile
Applicationprovidescriticalinformationaboutweatherandoceanconditions
up to 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) from shore, including disaster alerts,
Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) and current market prices of fish, helping the
fishermen improve their catch and their incomes.
Challenge
»» For generations, fishermen in India’s coastal communities earned their livelihood by relying on their
traditional knowledge of the sea and fishing grounds.
»» The devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami changed the sea’s conditions, making the fisherfolk’s
traditional knowledge obsolete.
»» Fishermen have difficulty judging when it is safe to venture out to sea and sometimes have trouble
finding the best places to fish.
»» The International Border Line (IBL) between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka runs through the ocean
close to the coast of Tamil Nadu and is not marked, making it possible for fishermen to accidentally
cross the line and face penalties under Sri Lankan law.
Solution
»» Fisher Friend mobile application provides comprehensive information on ocean conditions such as
wind speed, wind direction and wave height along with early warning information on disasters like
cyclones, high waves and heavy rainfall. Fishermen use this information to determine when it is safe
to go to sea and which type of fishing gear they should take with them.
»» The mobile app leverages the smartphone’s GPS feature to map the coordinates of PFZ Advisories,
provided by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, and chart a course to the
PFZ and then back to their harbor locations.
»» Fishermen use the GPS feature of the mobile app to communicate their location to the coast guard
when stranded at sea.
»» The mobile app alerts the fishermen of Tamil Nadu when they’re approaching the international
border of Sri Lanka, enabling them to change course and avoid crossing the border.
»» Fishermen also use the mobile app to obtain current market prices, enabling them to negotiate the
best price for their catch.
2015 Statistics
»» Life expectancy: 68.13 years
»» Population: 1.25 billion
»» GDP per capita (PPP): US$5,800
(2014 est.)
»» Mobile penetration: 74.8%
Sources: CIA World Factbook (https://
www.cia. gov/library/publications/the-
world-factbook/ index.html); Mobile
penetration data provided by Informa UK
Limited and based on market intelligence.
Population data from CIA World Factbook.
INDIA
We find the information on wind
speed and wave heights provided
through Fisher Friend very critical,
and timely warnings have saved
the lives of many fishermen. Every
day before we go to sea, we look
at the information on Fisher Friend
to determine if it is safe or not to
venture into the sea.
— Mr. Balakrishnan, Fisherman of
Veerampattinam Village,
Puducherry
Education | Entrepreneurship | Environment | Health Care | Public Safety

2. Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™
Qualcomm believes access to advanced wireless technologies can improve people’s lives. Qualcomm Wireless Reach is a strategic initiative that brings wireless technology to
underserved communities globally. Wireless Reach invests in programs that foster entrepreneurship, aid in public safety, enhance the delivery of health care, enrich teaching and
learning and improve environmental sustainability. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com/wirelessreach.
Technology
»» 3G/4G -enabled Android smartphones with GPS
»» Specialized mobile application developed in four languages including Tamil (spoken in Tamil Nadu),
Telugu (spoken in Andhra Pradesh), Malayalam (spoken in Kerala) and English.
Impact
»» The Fisher Friend program was first started in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and has now scaled to
Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. More than 2000 fishermen of these states have used the mobile app.
»» The fishermen find the GPS capabilities of the mobile app and the smartphone useful to navigate
to PFZ coordinates and back to their harbor locations.
»» Fisher Friend has helped in the rescue of more than 40 fishermen who were caught in bad weather
conditions. They used the mobile app to communicate their GPS location to the coast guard.
»» Many fishermen have found fish catches worth over US$ 1500 by following the PFZ advisories
provided through the mobile app. Many have saved their boats and fishing gear by avoiding
dangerous sea conditions based on the advisories of wind speeds and wave heights provided by
the mobile app.
»» The National Council of Applied Economic Research of India, a reputable think tank and economic
research organization, lauded the Indian Federal Ministry of Earth Sciences for the implementation
of Fisher Friend in collaboration with the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and
recommended that a similar program be created for Indian farmers.
Project Stakeholders
»» Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services provides data on wave heights, wind speeds
and potential fishing zones.
»» The Indian National Coast Guard provides protection and emergency assistance to fishermen.
»» MSSRF is the lead implementing agency that anchors the project. In partnership with the fishing
community and other key stakeholders, it determines essential features, enhancements and
information to be added to the mobile app, thereby making it both user-friendly and relevant to the
fishermen. Additionally, it provides training and support to the fishermen.
»» Qualcomm Wireless Reach is the main project funder and provides technical and project
management support.
INDIA
1
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INDIAEXTN/Resources/295583-1110791780048/India-tsunami-na-mar14-2005-all.pdf
2
ibid.
February 3, 2016
…. From all accounts, this technology
(Fisher Friend mobile application) has
transformed the way the fishermen in
Tamil Nadu operate
— Forbes India, June 2015