Government plans to encourage transponder fitted boats for fishermen to increase their communication links and boost their security.

"We are slowly going to bring out a new system, which will help them for communication. I think it is transponders, which we are trying to bring out," Shipping Minister G K Vasan told reporters, after inaugurating the state-of-the art Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) at Chennai Port.

"Fishermen will be given these transponders. They have a connecting facility with a tower, which is in the port. And the state government will also be involved in this," he said.

Vasan was replying to a question on incidents of attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by Lankan Navy and collision of a commercial ship with a boat off Kerala coast.

He said the VTMS, set up at a cost of Rs 9.82 crore for securing the highest standards of safety to the vessels would be an added advantage to the port's signal station.

To a question on the menace posed by pirates on high seas, he said the shipping ministry was in total co-ordination with Ministries of Defence and External Affairs.

Government could bring back 230 sailors safely and in good health. "Of course, there are about 35-40 of them back there (in captivity). It is our duty to see that the government brings them back safely and send them home. This is an ongoing process, which we are doing," he said.

On the Sethu Samudram project issue, the Minister said the project was important not only for the development of Tamil Nadu, but also for the country's overall development.

However, he declined to elaborate, saying it was subjudice.

VTMS would be helpful to the port management to monitor, record, analyse and update information system online for all vessels entering and leaving the harbour and the data can be used for all statistical purposes, including collection of revenue from the ships, he said.

It also has, among other things, special features for oil spill detection and distribute VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) information to other stakeholders like Indian Navy and Coast Guard, besides a built-in VLR (VTS Logging and Replay),which was similar to the black box in an aircraft.