Southern States - Kerala   

CIFT develops rubber wood fishing canoes

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI FEB. 16. The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) has developed canoes for marine and backwater fishing using treated rubber wood. According to K. Devadasan, director of CIFT, the rubber wood has been economical.

The canoes were part of a CIFT venture to help the traditional fishermen by developing cheaper fishing canoes, which last longer and need lesser maintenance. CIFT has successfully developed inexpensive technologies for constructing fibreglass fishing canoes as well.

The ever-increasing demand of timber can be met by the utilisation of less used readily available and commercially potent species like the rubber tree (hevea braseliensis). The Rubber Board estimates the availability of rubber wood in the country as 1.25 million cubic meter a year.

According to Dr. Devadasan, the problem with this species is that it is prone to quick and easy attack by organisms.

But it has good physical and mechanical properties and the working qualities compare well with conventionally grown timbers. Rubber wood, he said, can be protected from bio-deterioration by treating it with chemical preservatives in the green condition or air-dried condition.

A combination treatment technology for less durable species of timber had earlier been developed and standardised by the scientists of CIFT. Studies on rubber wood preservation using this method was being carried out by CIFT for the past few years. Preservation of the timber for long periods can be achieved through dual and multiple treatments. Laboratory and field trials were conducted by CIFT using preservative treated rubber wood.

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