CHENNAI: Two weeks after nine fishermen from the State went missing at sea and days after some of them were found as dead bodies, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay chaired a meeting on Friday and directed various government departments to coordinate closely and expedite search-and-rescue operations whenever fishermen go missing while fishing at sea.

He chaired a review meeting to assess measures to ensure the safety of fishermen venturing into the sea.

During the meeting, officials discussed existing safety guidelines and measures to strengthen fishermen's protection. The discussions also covered introducing modern technologies to locate fishermen who go missing at sea, improving communication equipment used by fishermen, and reviewing existing laws and instructions related to their safety.

According to a government statement, the meeting also discussed measures to take when fishermen and fishing boats face disasters in the middle of the sea.

The Chief Minister directed the Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department to coordinate with the Marine Enforcement Wing, Coastal Security Group, Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy to swiftly undertake search and rescue operations whenever fishermen go missing at sea.

The coordination among these agencies aims to ensure a prompt response and expedite search operations during emergencies involving fishermen. Ministers Aadhav Arjuna, Rajmohan, N Marie Wilson and A. Srinath, along with Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar, participated in the meeting.